The since reopened Chingford Mount Road takeaway was shut in November 2021 after council officers found rat droppings amid filthy conditions, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A Pizza Hut in Chingford has been fined more than £39,000 after Waltham Forest Council uncovered a rat infestation.
The Chingford Mount Road takeaway was inspected by the council’s environmental health team in November 2021.
They found evidence of a rat infestation and droppings, inadequate pest proofing, and a lack of cleanliness that led to them immediately closing the restaurant down.
Four years on, franchisee Alhassan Goussous, the company director of GH Pizzas Ltd – previously MSAJ Pizza Ltd. – pled guilty to one charge of failing to adequately control pests at a Stratford Magistrate’s’ Court hearing on 14th October.
He was handed a fine of £23,500, plus £15,690 in costs to be paid in full within six months.
Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forest’s cabinet member for community safety, said this week: “While I am pleased that by closing the store, council environmental health officers were able to remove a threat to public health and safety, it’s unfortunate that the business was unable to get on top of long-standing issues relating to cleanliness and pest control.
“While the penalty in this case is significant, it is only a small measure of the seriousness of this offence and our determination to send a message to other food business operators who fail to take necessary measures to protect the public.”
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut said: “We are aware of the recent court ruling concerning incidents at the franchise-operated Pizza Hut Delivery on Chingford Mount Road in November 2021.
“The Chingford site is independently owned, and we have worked closely with the franchisee to ensure full compliance with our strict brand, food safety, and hygiene requirements.
“The restaurant was closed following the inspection and reopened only after all required corrective actions were verified by environmental health officers, ensuring it meets all necessary hygiene standards.”
The Chingford pizzeria has since re-opened and currently has a Food Standard Agency rating of three out of five, meaning its hygiene levels are “generally satisfactory”. Its most recent inspection was carried out in June this year.
GH Pizzas has an annual turnover of £14.5 million and Goussous is understood to operate a number of fast food franchises across the capital, the council says.
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