Durham County Council took legal action against the companies Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited and O&A International Limited, as well as director Oksana Sayed and supervisor Ahmed Sayed, following inspections at Lebaneat on North Bailey and its warehouse in Meadowfield.
Peterlee Magistrates Court heard that environmental health officers found inadequate cleaning, risks of food contamination, rodent droppings and a dead rat, creating an immediate risk to public health.
Both premises were given voluntary closure orders until remedial works had been carried out.
During the visit to the North Bailey premises, environmental health officers were told the business’ operator had changed from O&A International Limited to Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited. However, this change had not been registered with the council.
Magistrates heard that licensing officers from the authority also carried out a separate inspection of the North Bailey restaurant, where they found that training records had not been logged for two years. Additional checks with the Home Office also confirmed two members of staff had ‘no right to work’.
Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited and Oksana Sayed were found guilty of two counts for the North Bailey premises, of failing to keep the premises clean and of failing to register Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited with the council.
O&A International and Oksana Sayed were also found guilty of four counts for the Meadowfield premises, of failing to keep the premises clean; failing to ensure all stages of production were protected against contamination; failing to notify the council of each establishment under its control; and failing to put in place and maintain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point procedures.
Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited and O&A International Limited were each ordered to pay a fine of £4,800, a £1,920 victim surcharge, and £850 costs, resulting in a combined total of £15,140.
Ahmed Sayed, as licence holder for the North Bailey premises, was found guilty of failing to carry out right to work checks on all potential employees and of failing to ensure staff were fully trained and retrained on a three-monthly basis.
As director of the companies, Oksana Sayed was ordered to pay an additional £832 fine and £332 victim surcharge, totalling £1,164.
Mark Anslow, Durham County Council’s health and environmental protection manager, said: “These inspections found conditions that posed a serious risk to public health as well as significant licensing failures. Food businesses have a legal responsibility to maintain safe, clean premises and to always comply with food hygiene and licensing requirements. Where these standards are not met, we will take robust enforcement action to protect members of the public.”
