A takeaway owner has been fined after health inspectors found his premises covered in mouse droppings.

Council officials found droppings all over Snooty’s Fast Food Pizza Palace, which is based in Queensgate Market.

Kirklees magistrates were told that the business had struggled after receiving a zero out of five rating for its food hygiene.

Snooty’s boss Shakeel Ahmed said that he has since invested cash to ‘significantly improve’ the shop’s condition.

Mark Willingham, prosecuting for Kirklees Council, said that an inspection of the business was carried out on August 28 last year.

This took place after mouse droppings were found within the market.

Food hygiene inspectors then visited all of the businesses to determine if there was mouse activity elsewhere.

Mr Willingham said: “An officer visited Snooty’s as part of this action accompanied by a pest control officer. The conditions at the premises were very poor.

“They found mouse droppings in all areas of the kitchen. The floor was dirty and mouse droppings were mixed in with food debris and dirt.

“Droppings were found close to dough mixture and next to food packaging, which indicated that mice were potentially running all over the areas where food was prepared and stored.”

Snooty's is prosecuted for food hygiene breaches

When Ahmed returned to the shop he claimed that he had no idea that there was a pest problem.

He agreed to immediately close the premises to have it cleaned and bring mouse activity under control.

The court heard that the local authority had already agreed with three other businesses within the market that they should close over similar concerns.

Ahmed, of Older Station Court in Heckmondwike, was able to reopen after a further inspection the next day.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of breaching food safety and hygiene regulations.

These were: Failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good condition, failing to maintain floor surfaces, failing to keep all equipment effectively cleaned, failing to protect food from contamination, failing to implement adequate pest control procedures, and failing to implement and maintain permanent procedures based on hazard analysis and critical control point principles.

Aftaab Hussain, mitigating, said that his client had suffered a ‘significant shock’ after receiving a zero rating for his takeaway from the Food Standards Agency.

He added: “He’s since made significant improvements and spent significant money to update it.

“He and his partner attended a food safety course and a new rota for cleaning has been implemented.

Magistrates fined Ahmed £1,500. He must also pay £788 court costs and £120 victim surcharge.