The proprietor of a Ewell restaurant prosecuted for multiple breaches of food safety regulations has been banned from managing in the industry.

Mr Chun Gen Zheng of the Fortune Cookie restaurant in Ewell was sentenced at Guildford Magistrates Court earlier this week (Tuesday, June 25) after pleading guilty to 21 offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) regulations.

As the Comet reported previously, the case was pursued following a food hygiene inspection in September 2018, which uncovered a level of food hygiene described by the Environmental Health inspector as ‘appalling’ and among the worst practices she had ever seen, a spokesperson for Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) said.

The charges related to unsafe storage of food likely to render it unfit to consume, dirty equipment, dirty premises, dirty and damaged food containers, staff wearing dirty clothing and aprons, a lack of hand washing materials, preparing food in an outside yard and inadequate pest control.

In sentencing Mr Zheng received a Hygiene Prohibition Order which prohibits him from participating in the management of any food business.

He was also handed 200 hours community service, while costs of £4199.76 were awarded to EEBC.

Councillor Neil Dallen, Chair of the Environment and Safe Communities Committee at EEBC, said previously on the case: "Where businesses struggle to meet the highest standards, we offer a range of interventions to help them and to safeguard their customers.

"In this case, multiple serious offences were identified which put the public at risk and the council needed to prosecute.

"All food establishments in the borough are inspected and their ratings published on-line. At the moment food premises voluntarily display these and, unsurprisingly, those with the poorest rating don’t display them.

"We continue to lobby through the Local Government Association for there to be a national requirement for food establishments to prominently display their ratings".