A PUNJABI restaurant in Southall has been fined more than £25,000 for ignoring food safety laws.

Moti Mahal, at 94 The Broadway, now boasts a food hygiene rating of four out of five after an inspection by the Food Standards Agency this month.

This is a huge turnaround for the business, which in October 2014 had to close temporarily after a rodent infestation left mouse droppings in contact with food.

Four consecutive inspections in 2013 to 2015 gave it a rating of just zero or one and prompted a number of written warnings.

Essence Restaurants Limited, trading as Moti Mahal, appeared at Ealing Magistrates' Court on August 6 this year.

The owner pleaded guilty to five food hygiene offences and was given the maximum fine of £5,000 for each.

Councillor Julian Bell, leader of council, said: “This business displayed a disregard for its customers’ safety by ignoring warnings and advice from council officers.

“The level of this fine reflects the seriousness of the offences and should serve as a warning to all food businesses that we will take tough action if they fail to operate within the rules.

“I am very pleased to see our action had the desired effect and the business has now achieved a food hygiene rating of four.”

On the same day, Ealing Magistrates’ Court also confirmed the council’s decisions to temporarily close two other Ealing businesses.

Telford Fish Bar at 4 Winford Parade, Southall, was closed from June 30 to July 4 due to a mice infestation and lack of hot water and The Coriander Leaf at 158 South Ealing Road was closed from July 3 to 7, also due to a mice infestation.

The court fined butcher’s shop Best Quality Meat, at 64 King Street, Southall, £3,000 for fly-tipping.

Between December 2014 and January 2015, staff were regularly filmed on CCTV carrying bags of waste and cardboard boxes from the premises and dumping them in Dagmar Mews, a nearby residential street known as a fly-tipping hot spot.

Residents can report fly-tipping online at www.ealingcouncil.gov.uk/reportit