A RESTAURANT owner has been ordered to pay �4,000 in fines and legal costs after admitting a number of food safety offences. Environmental health officers from Stevenage Borough Council carried out a routine inspection of the Dew Drop Inn in the High St

A RESTAURANT owner has been ordered to pay �4,000 in fines and legal costs after admitting a number of food safety offences.

Environmental health officers from Stevenage Borough Council carried out a routine inspection of the Dew Drop Inn in the High Street, Old Town in July 2008.

Serious concerns about food safety there led to the council serving hygiene improvement notices.

A follow up inspection a month later revealed that the notices had not been complied with.

In particular, rice, chicken and prawns were not being properly stored at correct temperatures. The kitchen floor was dirty, a cloth used for wiping kitchen surfaces was dirty and a red coloured chopping board had gone black due to mould. There was also out of date high risk food in the restaurant.

Mr E Lai, sole director of Wok Work Ltd which owns the Dew Drop Inn, pleaded guilty at Stevenage Magistrates' Court to five charges of contravening food hygiene regulations.

Emma Rose, head of environmental health and licensing at the council, said: "I hope that this will reassure those people who live and work in Stevenage that we will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to make sure that restaurants maintain acceptable hygiene standards.