London,
29
April
2014
|
16:10
Europe/London

Hackney restaurant closed after rat found in kitchen

rat.a.jpg

Cu Tu, 134a Kingsland Road, London has been issued with a court order to stop making and serving food after Hackney Council environmental health officers found evidence of rats in the kitchen and throughout the premises.

On 29 April, Stratford Magistrates Court issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order, prohibiting the preparation and cooking of food at Cu Tu, which is owned by T & H Restaurant Ltd. T & H Restaurant Ltd, was also ordered to pay the Council of £620 costs.The court order is a result of a routine food hygiene inspection by a Hackney Council Environmental Health Officer on 25 April. Because of the imminent risk to health the restaurant was closed by the Council immediately.

During the visit, the environmental health officer found a dead rat under the cooking range in the kitchen and evidence of rats throughout. Rat droppings were found on the floor, on food packaging and shelving.  Gnawed packaging and scraps of nesting material were on the floor and the kitchen was very dirty with encrusted dirt and grime.

 

This is a serious breach of hygiene standards that puts any Hackney resident eating there at risk. Hackney’s environmental health officers make regular spot checks and when they find evidence like this they will take immediate action to protect the public. Hackney Council will now work with the business to ensure to ensure standards of cleanliness and hygiene are met before it can open its doors again.
Gifty Edila, Corporate Director, Legal, HR, and Regulatory Services

Cu Tu will remain closed until the immediate risk is removed. It will be closely monitored to ensure that the court order is not breached, and will only be lifted by Hackney Council if it is satisfied that there is no longer an imminent risk to health. Further visits can also be requested by Cu Tu.

Cu Tu, is currently rated zero out of five in Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Customers should check what rating any eatery is before they eat there. Anyone suspecting a business of breaching hygiene standards should contact the Hackney Council’s Environmental Health on 0208 356 4911 or info@hackney.gov.uk