A HUDDERSFIELD takeaway has been closed down after rats and mice were found, a court was told.
Khan's Tandoori, on Manchester Road at Longroyd Bridge, was closed down last Tuesday by Kirklees Council environmental health officers after a routine inspection.
Huddersfield magistrates heard officers had found mouse droppings in food storage rooms and areas where food was being prepared. A dead rat was also found in the cellar, which was not being used for food storage or preparation.
Officers decided there was an immediate risk to public health and served an emergency prohibition notice at Khan's Tandoori. This meant it had to close immediately.
Environmental health officers have been at the takeaway every day and on Friday, they found a dead mouse behind a refrigerator.
Senior environmental health officer Judith Smith- who served the notice - said that up until their visit there had been no action taken to tackle the problem.
She added: "There was generally a cleaning problem there. There has been no effort made to call out the pest control company. There had been no effort to protect food from contamination."
At yesterday's hearing, magistrates confirmed the emergency prohibition order. It means the takeaway must stay closed until environmental health officers are satisified that the problem has been remedied.
Magistrates were told it was unclear who currently managed the takeaway.
It is owned by Abdul Rafiq, who in 1998 was banned by magistrates from managing a food business after rat and cockroach infestation at Khan's Tandoori.
However, Rafiq has told environmental health officers that he is no longer managing the takeaway and is there only in his capacity as owner. A man at the takeaway named Mohammed Yusuf told environmental health officers he was the manager.
On another occasion they were told that a man known as Mr Dhana was in charge, although they have never met him.
Magistrates made the emergency prohibition order yesterday in the names of all three men.
