A pizza restaurant in Kingston has been fined after being prosecuted for being "filthy", "greasy" and "grimy".

In January, 2008, an environmental health officer visited Red Planet Pizza, in London Road, on a routine inspection and had serious concerns about the levels of hygiene.

That standards improved in inspections in subsequent months but another on November 27 last year left the officer shocked at the filthy conditions.

Pizza toppings were being prepared on a “very dirty” freezer top, the soap and hand drying equipment were filthy, as were the deep fat fryer filters and pizza cutters, and the premises was in a generally grimy condition.

There were also no written procedures in place to encourage safe hygiene.

Ted Forsyth, Kingston Council’s head of environmental health and trading standards, said: “I’m shocked by what my officers found and pleased that the court has given a severe penalty, bearing in mind his means, for a first offence.

“I will not tolerate such methods in Kingston and other food businesses are warned that if they treat hygiene with such cavalier disregard they will find themselves in trouble.

“The vast majority of Kingston food business are first class, providing excellent levels of hygiene and do not deserve to have their reputation affected by incidents such as this.”

Business operator Bila Ram pleaded guilty to three charges at Kingston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 14, and apologised for the condition the restaurant was allowed to get into and insisted it was now clean.

He explained to the court he had been living in Essex and was unable to spend as much time as he should have at the premises.

On December 22, the environmental health officer returned and found the improvement notices were being adhered to.

Mr Ram was fined £1,019, including costs, to be paid in full within 28 days.

He was not available for comment after the proceedings.

Visit yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores if you would like to check the hygiene scores of restaurants in your area.

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