A man has been slapped with a hefty fine after being hauled to court over 22 food hygiene offences at his convenience store in the Vale of Glamorgan. Anwar Murad, who was running Springfield Stores in Wenvoe at the time, blamed his son for the shop’s grimy conditions but was himself “out of his depth”, according to the court.
Prosecutor Emily Jermin informed Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court an investigation into the business on Old Port Road was initiated following complaints from a member of the public about its hygiene. Inspector Angela Coles first visited in August 2022 and discovered a plethora of issues including a chiller with a temperature of 21.5C – significantly above the maximum 8C.
The chiller housed dairy items and meat products such as burgers and sandwiches, although none of the meats were raw. Food past its best-before date was “indistinguishable from other foods being displayed”, Ms Jermin noted.
There was debris under a fridge and the floor was dirty throughout. Out-of-date food was stored in an outside shed alongside rubbish and building materials.
The shop had potential entry points for pests including gaps in the floor and an uncovered external drain. The site lacked waste bins and there was no record of temperature control or pest control checks, reports Wales Online.
Ms Coles issued a zero-star food hygiene rating – indicating urgent improvement needed – and served a notice ordering Murad, 47, to rectify the issues within two weeks.
Later that month, Ms Coles visited and found meat and dairy products stored above 8C in the chiller. Burger products were left on the floor, delivery notes were inaccurate, and there was no evidence of temperature check records.
Murad claimed he had been using a temperature probe but when asked to present it, he said it was at another address. He also claimed the chiller had been repaired by a friend but could not provide any paperwork to prove it. Ms Coles issued another action notice.
The following month, Ms Coles returned to find a new chiller in use, which again registered too high a temperature, 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 “The issues relating to out-of-date products being stored on the floor and in the outside shed, rubbish in the garden, the outside toilet being in a poor state, the lack of bins on site, the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,” Ms Jermin stated.
The inspector handed out yet another action notice. In October 2022, she came back to see the problems persisted.
Murad was absent and later missed a scheduled interview with the council. However, in November, he attended an interview and “placed blame on his son for not conducting the temperature checks and monitoring required”, as per Ms Jermin’s account.
He also insisted all necessary repairs had been completed.
However, upon Ms Coles’ inspection of the shop in January 2023, the promises of reform appeared empty. “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,” reported 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, hailing from Old Port Road, admitted guilt to 22 charges concerning food hygiene. His defence counsel Hannah Friedman explained to the court Murad had invested £45,000 in attempts to rectify the cited problems, with a significant portion of his shop earnings absorbed by these efforts.
She stated although her client’s command of English is “brilliant” being a non-native speaker led to misunderstandings, particularly with terms used in his dealings with the council. An illustration given was he did not comprehend what “non-adherence to food and hygiene laws” signified, adding to his lack of recognition of the gravity of the circumstances, she recounted.
Ms Friedman explained while Murad’s sons had been involved in the shop, he accepted full responsibility and was “clearly under-qualified” to manage the business. She stated: “He is mortified,” and highlighted at 47 years old, this was his first time facing the courts.
Murad has since left the business and now works as a delivery driver in Burnham-on-Sea, earning just shy of £1,000 per month. His wife is unable to work due to illness, and with universal credit, their monthly household income totals approximately £2,200.
Ms Friedman mentioned Murad’s savings amounted to £1,000. Judge Richard Kember acknowledged Murad’s remorse but noted: “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 levied a fine of £3,500 on Murad and required him to pay £1,000 towards the Vale of Glamorgan council’s £7,000 prosecution costs, to be settled at a rate of £35 a week.
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