Inspectors couldn't quite believe what they found in this zero food hygiene shop (original) (raw)
A man has been fined thousands of pounds after being taken to court over 22 food hygiene offences at his convenience shop in the Vale of Glamorgan. Anwar Murad, who at the time ran Springfield Stores in Wenvoe, blamed his son for the shop's filthy conditions but was himself "out of his depth", a court heard.
Prosecutor Emily Jermin told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that an investigation into the business on Old Port Road began after complaints by a member of the public over its hygiene. Inspector Angela Coles first visited in August 2022 and found a wide range of problems including a chiller with a temperature of 21.5C — well over what should have been an 8C maximum. The chiller contained dairy items and meat products including burgers and sandwiches, though none of the meats were raw. Food past its best-before date was "indistinguishable from other foods being displayed", said Ms Jermin.
There was debris under a fridge and the floor was dirty throughout. Out-of-date food was being stored in an outside shed next to rubbish and building materials. The shop had access points for pests including gaps in the floor as well as an uncovered external drain. The site lacked waste bins and there was no record of temperature control or pest control checks. Ms Coles issued a zero-star food hygiene rating — meaning urgent improvement needed — and served a notice ordering Murad, 47, to fix the issues within two weeks.
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Later that month Ms Coles visited and again found meat and dairy products being kept above 8C in the chiller. Burger products had been left on the floor, delivery notes were inaccurate, and there was again no evidence of temperature check records. Murad claimed he had been using a temperature probe but when asked to show this he claimed it was at a different address. He also claimed the chiller had been fixed by a friend but had no paperwork to back this up. Ms Coles served another action notice.
Springfield Stores in Wenvoe, pictured when Anwar Murad was running the business (Image: Vale of Glamorgan Council)
The following month Ms Coles returned and noted a new chiller was being used — and the temperature was again too high, this time at 12.8C. "The issues relating to out-of-date products being stored on the floor and in the outside shed, rubbish in the garden, the outside toilet being in a poor state, the lack of bins on site, the failures in pest proof requirements and the uncleanliness of the premises were still apparent," said Ms Jermin.
The inspector issued yet another action notice. She returned in October 2022 and found the problems had not been addressed. Murad was not there on this occasion and he later missed a scheduled interview with the council. In the November he did attend an interview and "placed blame on his son for not conducting the temperature checks and monitoring required", said Ms Jermin. He also claimed that all necessary works had now been carried out.
Springfield Stores in Wenvoe, pictured when Anwar Murad was running the business (Image: Vale of Glamorgan Council)
But when Ms Coles visited the shop in January 2023 she saw this was not the case. "A wall between the shop premises and the storeroom was in the process of being demolished, and that had caused pieces of rubble to scatter on the shop floor and plaster to fall down from the ceiling," said Ms Jermin. "Food items in the store were covered in dust as a result. The issues relating to the toilets, temperature monitoring, rubbish in the garden and the like remained."
Murad, of Old Port Road, pleaded guilty to 22 food hygiene offences. His barrister Hannah Friedman said Murad had spent £45,000 on attempts to improve the issues and a lot of his profits from running the shop had been swallowed up. She told the court her client's English was "brilliant" but due to it not being his first language he struggled with some of the phrases used in his exchanges with the council. One example was that he did not understand what "non-adherence to food and hygiene laws" meant and did not appear to fully understand the seriousness of the situation, she said.
Springfield Stores in Wenvoe, pictured when Anwar Murad was running the business (Image: Vale of Glamorgan Council)
Ms Friedman added that although Murad's sons had been working in the shop he took full responsibility and was "clearly under-qualified" to be running the business. "He is mortified," she said. "At the age of 47 he had never been before the courts previously." He has quit the business and started working as a delivery driver in Burnham-on-Sea four days a week, earning just under £1,000 a month. His wife does not work due to illness and universal credit brings the household's monthly income up to £2,200 a month. His savings totalled £1,000, said Mr Friedman.
Judge Richard Kember accepted Murad was remorseful but added: "You did not have training in food hygiene and nor had you previously run a business selling food. In my judgement you were out of your depth." The judge imposed a fine of £3,500 and ordered Murad to cover £1,000 of Vale of Glamorgan council's £7,000 prosecution costs. The debt is to be paid at a rate of £35 a week.
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