A FIRM behind a seafood restaurant has been fined £7,200 after mouse droppings were found in the kitchen on two separate occasions.

Operators behind Azure in the Lower Promenade of Madeira Drive, Brighton, have been fined in court today after food safety officers made unpleasant discoveries during two separate visits just days apart.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court, Brighton-based XTO admitted to ten offences under food hygiene regulations.

Inspectors found droppings among inside a packet of almonds, close to unwrapped limes and on the floor by a customer booth.

The court was told that food safety officers from Brighton and Hove City Council visited the restaurant on August 26 last year, following a complaint.

Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of the city council, said the officers were concerned about the risk to health after finding mouse droppings behind a freezer and on shelving where dried food was stored, and food packets which had been gnawed by mice.

The manager of the premises agreed to voluntarily close the restaurant and it was allowed to reopen following cleaning and disinfection.

However, when members of the food safety team returned on September 4 to check the premises they found the infestation had returned, and was worse than before, with mouse droppings at 14 different locations.

Droppings were found on five shelves used to store dried food and inside a packet of ground almonds, on the kitchen floor behind the freezer and under the sink, in a store room on the floor and on shelving where uncovered limes were stored.

Mouse mess was also found on the floor of a customer seating booth; and on a glass washer and shelving in the bar. The food safety officers were again concerned about a risk to health and the premises once again closed until action was taken to clean the restaurant and tackle the infestation.

XTO Ltd, which was represented in court by director Max Mazurenko, was fined £450 for each of four offences on August 26 and £900 for each of six offences on September 9 as well as £1,937 in costs.

Tim Nichols, the council's head of regulatory services, said: “Fortunately cases such as these are rare, and most food businesses in the city and the council work hard to provide high standards of food hygiene.

“However this case sends out a clear message that the council will not hesitate to take action where necessary.”

Mr Mazurenko said: “These problems happened while I was away from the country and as soon as I heard about it I took immediate action.

“I got rid of every single employee from that time and then I released the funds allowing us to close the restaurant over the winter and make changes.

“Part of the problem on one side of the restaurant is a derelict building but we have spent money to improve that.

“Health and safety have been back into the building since and there isn’t a problem now.”