Ex-director of pest-infested Birmingham restaurant pleads guilty

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 13:57 · Archive

The former director of a Birmingham restaurant infested with mice and cockroaches pleaded guilty to food safety breaches.

Zia Gondal, aged 55, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching food safety regulations following pest infestations at Shinwari Darbar, a Birmingham restaurant on Stratford Road. Birmingham City Council environmental health officers inspected the premises following a complaint and discovered live and dead cockroaches as well as mice droppings.

Officers found cockroaches and rodent droppings during an inspection on 10 June. A hygiene emergency protection notice was served, forcing the restaurant to close. It reopened two days later after work was carried out to eliminate the risk to health.

However, on a revisit on 30 September, a 'severe' cockroach infestation was discovered with insects found on a food counter, a stainless steel food preparation table and behind storage racking. Several revisits showed the problem persisted in the days after and was not rectified until 15 October.

The company that owned the restaurant, Mangatfoods Ltd, had been fined £26,217 in July for previous offences which had not been paid. Gondal, who appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 22 October, said the pest problems originated with a neighbouring property where "there was no control".

Gondal told the court he had "lost everything" with the business. He said he has since sold it and now lives in Germany working as a taxi driver.

How it is being reported

• Pest-infested Birmingham restaurant boss works as taxi driver after 'losing everything' with businessThe former restaurant director said he now works as a taxi driver in Germany.Birmingham World · 24 Oct, 13:28
• Pest-infested Birmingham restaurant boss works as taxi driver after 'losing everything' with businessThe former restaurant director said he now works as a taxi driver in Germany.Express & Star · 24 Oct, 13:28
• Ex-boss of Birmingham restaurant infested with mice and cockroaches "lost everything"The former restaurant director said he now works as a taxi driver in GermanyBirminghamLive · 24 Oct, 05:30

In this story: Zia Gondal · Shinwari Darbar · Birmingham · Mangatfoods Ltd · Birmingham City Council

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