Rat-infested Wigan takeaway closed

A notice has been posted in the window of the Indian Delight eatery on Wigan Lane, saying that magistrates have ordered its shutdown over concerns that conditions in the kitchen, including a lack of running hot water, could pose a health risk to customers.

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Indian Delight, one of the more recent arrivals in an area of town with a number of eating establishments, was issued with a hygiene emergency prohibition notice and closed on February 22.

Although legislation requires the court to consider and confirm the notice, the business has not at this time been prosecuted following a visit by health inspectors.

But it need to come up with £622 in costs to be paid back to the council.

A spokeswoman for the local authority said that inquiries in relation to the business were ongoing and that it was unable to comment further at this time.

But the notice in the window says that it was issued because of an “imminent risk of injury to health due to widespread infestation of rodents under the sink and around the sink area, no hot water to the sink or the hand wash basin.

“This presents a significant risk of contamination of food and an imminent risk of injury to health.

“And upon hearing an authorised officer of the enforcement authority, namely Wigan Borough Council, the court hereby rules that the use of the premises at Indian Delight Food Limited, 32, Wigan Lane, Wigan, WN1 WXR, for the purposes of any food business is prohibited and that the defendant - Anamul Islam Choudhury - pays the council’s costs in the sum of £622.”

The business would be able to reopen if it can demonstrate that the hygiene issues have been tackled and the premises are risk-free.

That happened last year when council hygiene inspectors closed Sicily Pizzas in Newtown after a rat infestation was discovered in the toilets and in the fridges where pizza toppings were stored.

A follow-up inspection concluded that major improvements had been made to remedy the problems and it reopened within weeks.