A YORK restaurant and takeaway has been ordered to carry out major improvements after scoring zero in a food hygiene inspection.

York Tandoori, in Lowther Street, The Groves, was given the rating - meaning urgent improvements are necessary - following a City of York Council inspection on January 24.

A report published online stated that improvements were necessary in the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage

It said major improvements were needed in the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and the building - including having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control - to enable good food hygiene.

Major improvements were also necessary in the management of food safety, relating to the system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat and evidence that staff know about food safety.

The York Tandoori's manager, Nazrul Islam, told The Press that there had been a major refurbishment since the inspection had been carried out.

He said everything in the kitchen and elsewhere in the premises was brand new, and he had asked for a revisit by inspectors, and was confident it would win an improved rating.

The Press asked City of York Council for a copy of the report but a spokeswoman said that when premises received really low scores, it often didn’t release reports due to the potential for legal action being taken and a desire not to prejudice any investigation.

The Food Standards Agency says food safety officer’s reporst on which ratings are based can be requested from the local authority that carried out the inspection, which will consider the request and will usually send a copy of the report, adding: "In some cases, the local authority may decide that they cannot do so but will let you know this and explain why."

The authority says on its website that most food businesses are inspected by it and given a food hygiene rating, from 0 to 5, which reflect how well a business meets food hygiene laws, with '0' indicating 'urgent improvement necessary' and '5' meaning 'very good'.

It says: "The food hygiene rating does not reflect the quality of food or the standard of service provided to customers. It is not an endorsement of current standards but merely reflects the score we awarded a premises at the time of their inspection. We try very hard to make sure the information is correct. Businesses may display their score on a window sticker, but this is not compulsory."