A DIRTY shop and butcher’s premises in Acton has been ordered to pay more than £13,500 after a court found it guilty of a string of food hygiene offences.

Officers from Ealing Council’s food safety team paid unannounced visits to Al-Rafidain at 140 Churchfield Road in July last year and February this year.

Prior to these visits, the business had a poor history of compliance with food law.

In July 2013, officers found the shop to be in a very bad state of repair and cleanliness with evidence of mice, including packets of food gnawed open. The shop was closed temporarily.

In February, officers found standards had deteriorated again. There were holes in the walls and floor and surfaces were encrusted with filth.

Several packets of food had been chewed by mice and droppings were seen throughout, including on the shop’s shelves and on cleaning cloths. A live mouse was also spotted in the shop among sacks of rice.

Officers served an emergency prohibition notice and ordered the shop to temporarily close. However, when an officer visited the shop later that evening to make sure it was abiding by the notice, he found the shop still trading.

The owner of the business pleaded guilty to seven charges at Ealing Magistrates’ Court.

Two related to separate fly-tipping offences and one was as a result of the shop continuing to trade after it had been ordered to close.

The fines totalled £9,800 and he was also ordered to pay the council’s costs of £3,535.91 plus a £240 victim surcharge.