Extra portions of mice at Chinese takeaway

At Southend Magistrates Court on Tuesday 11th May, Mrs Kun Zhang,  45, of Dragon Palace Takeaway, London Road, Westcliff, admitted five food safety offences, which included failing to have adequate pest control, and failing to keep the premises clean.  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Environmental Health Officers conducted a routine hygiene inspection at the Dragon Palace on Thursday 25th November last year where they discovered mice and several other breaches of food safety laws.  

Two live mice were found in a gnawed box of dried noodles in the store room. A dead mouse was discovered nearby, another dead mouse was beneath the sinks and mouse droppings were present throughout.

Staff were also not washing their hands and anti-bacterial cleaning liquids were not being used for cleaning. Council officers immediately closed the premises which have not re-opened since.  

Environmental Health staff had earlier given considerable help to Mrs Zhang, but she failed to put a food safety management system into place, to ensure acceptable standards.  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Waste, Councillor Tony Cox said: "It is highly dangerous to conduct a food business under such unhygienic circumstances, thereby putting the health of customers at serious risk.

"Our Environmental Health officers inspect premises rigorously and offer a great deal of assistance and advice to help every food business in Southend food to achieve and maintain the correct standards.

"It is essential for us all to take food hygiene issues extremely seriously. Food- borne disease affects around one million people a year in the UK . Of these 20,000 require hospital treatment and 500 die."