A LOWER GORNAL chinese takeaway has been shut down by environmental health after it was found to be infested with mice.

Golden Oriental, in Louise Street, was closed by Dudley Council's environmental health officers under emergency powers when they visited the premises during the evening of May 28.

Officers from the council's food and occupational safety section, discovered the takeaway was littered with mouse droppings which were found near the cooking range, by the fridge and freezers and on plastic shelving in the food storage areas.

Dudley Magistrates Court heard how the owner, Mr Kim Sin, had first called in pest control workers to deal with the infestation of vermin three weeks earlier, on May 8.

The day before environmental health visited the fast food outlet, pest control had laid bait around the takeaway. However on the day of the visit health officials found green coloured mouse droppings, which proved there was still recent mouse activity as the colour indicated they had eaten the bait.

Miss Neelam Bangar, prosecuting on behalf of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, said on inspection by the health officials, the food storage areas warranted an immediate closure order as food had been left out open. The takeaway was shut that evening, under food safety legislation.

A thorough sterilisation of the whole premises took place on Monday afternoon.

Dudley Magistrates on Monday (June 2) served the premises with a prohibition order, which states the takeaway must stay closed until it can prove to the local authority that it has had three separate vermin free days and that they are no longer at risk to the public. The owner was also ordered to pay £1,400 costs.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environment and culture said: "Food businesses have a legal duty to ensure that pests are denied access to food preparation and storage areas and the council will not hesitate to use these emergency closure powers in situations where the safety of the public is compromised."