Mice infestation at Wigan takeaway so bad it presented a risk to public

Magistrates heard that vermin were so rife at Pizza Pizza, in Carr Lane, Hawkley Hall, inspectors found food littered with droppings and mouse traps in places where stores were kept.

The premises were immediately closed following the visit from council food hygiene inspectors to prevent further contamination.

And yesterday, the owner of the eaterie Mehran Kaviany Maram was fined for numerous food hygiene offences in a successful prosecution by Wigan Council.

Maran pleaded guilty to four food hygiene offences at Wigan Magistrates Court and received hefty fines.

The offences included failure to ensure food was protected against contamination, failure to ensure adequate procedures were in place to control pests and staff training offences.

The food business operator at the time of the offences in July 2016 was Mr Mehran Kaviany Maram. He is still the current operator.

Following an unrelated complaint an inspection of the premises by officers from Wigan Council’s environmental health revealed that there was a widespread mice infestation. The business closed voluntarily due to the significant risk of contamination of food.

The operator was ordered to pay a total cost of £1,512 including a fine of £700 for the first offence (reduced to £466 for guilty plea) after the magistrates were satisfied that public money had been spent on the case to ensure the protection of the public.

The owner will have to pay back the money that has been spent taking it to court.

The business was awarded a 1 food hygiene rating with ‘major improvement necessary’ when it was inspected last year.

Coun Kevin Anderson, cabinet member for environment, said: “Whilst we will always work with businesses to support them in complying with legal requirements, where businesses are in need of major improvement and have committed serious offences, we will prosecute where necessary. This case presented a high risk to the public.”