Curry House Fined

Abdur Rouf, who owns Nimmi Indian Cuisine in White Hart Street in Thetford, pleaded guilty to breaking rules on health and safety.

He stood accused on numerous counts of failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good repair and condition, failing to ensure that equipment which came into contact with food was clean and in good repair and condition in order to prevent the contamination of food and failing to comply with a hygiene improvement notice.

Investigations began by Breckland Council’s Environmental Health Team in December 2009 and serious health & safety defects lead to the service of enforcement notices, which Rouf repeatedly breached over a prolonged period of time. 

Other offences related to a failure to comply with a prohibition notice concerning unsafe access to the restaurant’s beer cellar.  There were also further failings to comply with an Improvement Notice requiring maintenance of the restaurant’s unsafe gas installation and attendance to multiple gas defects. 

The issue of gas safety in catering premises is a high priority area of Breckland Council’s Environmental Health Team’s and both gas leaks and unacceptable carbon monoxide risks were detected by officers during their investigations.  

Fiona Inston, Principal Environmental Health Officer at Breckland Council, said: ”We are very pleased with this outcome.

“We work closely with business to provide advice and guidance on safety and hygiene but this case sends a clear message to those who flout regulations that we will take appropriate enforcement action to ensure public and employees’ safety is not compromised.”