A kebab shop has significantly improved its hygiene rating after a previously scathing assessment by inspectors.

Mangal Express in Rickmansworth High Street was awarded a 5/5 after its most recent inspection on June 6.

It has been given an overall rating of 'very good' after being told it needed “major improvement” when it was inspected on October 26 last year.

The restaurant’s owner, Yunus Celebi, told the Watford Observer he and his team are “proud of the improvements”.

Watford Observer: Mangal Express in Rickmansworth High Street.Mangal Express in Rickmansworth High Street. (Image: Google Street View)

He said the entire back storage room has been refitted, with walls being knocked down and rebuilt.

It was in response to the inspector finding a hole in the back wall and parts of the ceiling and walls missing.

The inspector previously said: “The chef told me that the hole in the area above the rear external door was so that you can get the pigeons out when they get trapped inside.”

The takeaway was warned at the time that the room could not be used to store food, equipment or packaging until work had been carried out.

Mr Celebi added: “The food safety hygienic handling booklet has been filled out and we now have two separate fridges. One for raw meat and the rest of the food goes into the other fridge.”

The shop, which has been open for 10 years now, has two separate areas to prepare raw meat and other food.

Mr Celebi said: “It wasn’t easy to be honest. We had to call the inspector in again to give us advice to get it done properly, which they did and then we followed it.”

Now the shop has been rated a good in the areas of hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and management of food safety.

Speaking of the previous hygiene rating, the owner said: “Since the 1/5, business has gone down, and it took us time to get things back on track.”

He said he “would encourage customers to visit the shop and see the changes for themselves. The preparation areas, the storerooms, they have all been fixed”.