A TAKEAWAY in York has been fined for food hygiene offences after an unannounced inspection found major improvements were necessary.

The director of Mamaz Pizzeria Takeaway Ltd, on Acomb Road, and the limited company owning it have both been found guilty of five food hygiene offences and have been fined a total £3,640 at York Magistrates Court.

Food safety officers first visited the business on March 10, 2015, as part of a routine inspection and awarded a food hygiene rating of one, along with a letter that advised major improvements were necessary.

The business was revisited on May 6 last year but standards had not improved and a hygiene improvement notice was served.

Among the hygiene offences found at the premises on the first two visits were tubs of yoghurt not stored in the fridge, raw and ready to eat foods stored next to each other risking cross contamination, and there was no wash hand basin at the front of the premises where raw meat was cooked and served.

A further visit on July 15 found standards were better but the basin, required by the hygiene improvement notice, had not been fitted in the time required.

Five offences were levied against the company and the director, Yasar Altin, of Crombie Avenue, York, who pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court on May 23. Although this was the limited company at the time of the offences, Altin resigned as a director before the latest court hearing and the limited company has a new director.

However, both Altin and the limited company were each fined a total of £1,820: fines of £770 for the combined five offences plus costs of £1,050.

Another inspection in March this year raised the food hygiene rating to two. The business has now vacated the premises.

Cllr David Carr, leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “Our food hygiene officers work to minimise health risks to food business customers by advising and maintaining standards. This case shows that we will prosecute cases where businesses leave their customers open to risk through poor practices.”