A FISHMONGER who repeatedly failed to meet food standards has been ordered to pay £1,672 after admitting four food hygiene offences.

Trevor Douglas, 62, of St Peters Court, in Whitby, failed to improve hygiene standards at his stall at Shambles market, York, for five years between 2013 and 2017 and, at his most recent inspection in January 2017, the business was given a zero rating and told to improve.

Inspectors found the Whitby Seafish stall, at 2 Newgate, had poor cleanliness and repair, a lack of hot water, cross contamination risks and inadequate management documentation.

An environmental health officer from City of York Council revisited the business on March 13 last year and found that while the hygiene standards had largely been complied with, there were a number of unresolved issues including dirty equipment and cross-contamination risks from dressed crab continuing to be displayed among wet fish.

Another visit on May 26 found these matters had still not been resolved, and a visit on June 30 showed that while there was an improvement in standards of cleanliness, cross-contamination risks remained.

York Magistrates' Court heard Douglas’s business had suffered after his wife had health complications and she had a leg amputated. He had also been given the business and an old van by his previous employer in lieu of redundancy payment which the company could not afford to pay. Douglas pleaded guilty to four food safety offences and was fined £1,066, ordered to pay a court surcharge of £106 and costs of £500.

Cllr Andrew Waller, City of York Council interim deputy leader and executive member for environment, said York relied on an excellent reputation for food quality and breaches of standards were taken "very seriously".

He said: “Consumers need to be confident that the food they buy is safe, and that the people running those businesses are upholding their responsibilities. The vast majority of local businesses follow safe and proper practices, and we work with them to try to overcome any issues, but in the few cases where standards remain poor we take action, as this prosecution proves.”