The Lemon Plaice operator fined over hygiene breaches

The Lemon Plaice operator Thangarajah Nesarajah, of Tenzing Road, Hemel Hempstead, admitted to 11 charges relating to breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations, with the main charge relating to pest control procedures, at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on October 25.

According to court documents, pest control failures were "evidenced by pigeon faeces, feathers, and skin found throughout the premises".

The 56-year-old's remaining charges related to a failure to clean and maintain the premises, failure to comply with a hygiene improvement notice, and hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) procedures.

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Dacorum Borough Council shared a photo of the “dirty” potato chips preparation area at the chippy, in Bellgate.

The £12,000 total was made up of a £5,000 fine, £5,000 in prosecution costs, and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

Dacorum councillor Robin Bromham said: “We're committed to ensuring food standards remain high throughout Dacorum to safeguard our residents and visitors.

Photo shared by Dacorum Borough Council showing dirty equipment, containers and area. (Image: Dacorum Borough Council)

“We won't hesitate to use the full range of regulatory interventions available to us when tackling high-risk, illegal or poor performing food businesses.

“Given the severity of the conditions in this particular case, both our environmental health and legal teams did an excellent job intervening and bringing about a successful prosecution.

“This prevented any members of the public from becoming extremely ill or, worse still, losing their lives.”