A deli which was fined for leaving rotting meat in its car park must pay back almost £7,000 following an unsuccessful appeal against a charge of poor waste disposal.

Miesko Polish Deli, in Sudbury, ignored several warnings from Harrow Council in relation to its waste management and initially refused to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100.

It came after environmental officers found stacks of rotting meat, bin bags and loose packaging in the shop’s car park following complaints from neighbours.

Director Jolanta Wrobel, 37, was then ordered to pay back more than £1,500 in fines and costs but opted to appeal the decision.

At the appeal hearing on December 19, which Wrobel did not attend despite making the request, Magistrates decided that she must pay the full £6,316.54 in costs incurred by Harrow Council on behalf of the taxpayer.

Cllr Graham Henson, responsible for the environment at Harrow Council, noted how this case serves as a reminder to everyone to manage their rubbish in a fair and honest manner.

He said: “We gave Mrs Wrobel and the deli a chance to do the right thing, but instead she put up a fight and sadly for her it backfired spectacularly.

“Everyone has a responsibility to take care of their own waste, whether you’re a business or resident.

“If we catch anyone undoing our work to make Harrow clean, we will come down hard – just like we did with Wrobel and her deli.”