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A Vietnamese restaurant in the south-east London town of Deptford has been fined by the local council after pleading guilty to numerous food hygiene breaches.

The Chung Viet restaurant, on the High Street, was inspected by environmental health officers from Lewisham Council., who found a serious of worrying food safety issues at the premises. They found:

• Infestations of both cockroaches and mice
• Food preparation areas contaminated with rodent waste
• Staff caught smoking in the kitchen
• Inadequate documentation of food management systems
• Dirty, unhygienic conditions in the food preparation, food storage and general kitchen areas
• Insufficient food hygiene training for management and staff

The owner of the business was fined £3,500 for seven breaches of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 and the Health Act 2006. He was also ordered to pay over £2,000 in court costs.

Speaking on behalf of Lewisham Council, customer services cabinet member Susan Wise said:

“Businesses supplying food to the public have a responsibility to provide food which is fit for human consumption and prepared in a safe, clean environment.
“Where businesses fail to do so we will take action. This can include closure and, in some instances criminal prosecution where serious breaches of the regulations have occurred.”