A mound of grease nearly eight centimetres high was found at a filthy city take-away.

The owners of Rocky's, in Edward Street, Brighton have now been ordered to pay nearly £3,000 in fines and costs after food safety officers uncovered their grimey kitchen.

There was grease and dirt on the walls and floor and evidence the premises had not been thoroughly cleaned for some time.

Thick grease had built up under the char grill and the top of a freezer was oily.

Officers reported that raw chicken juice had spilt out at the bottom of a refridgerator.

There were cobwebs above the sink in the pizza preparation area and the tiled floor was cracked and blackened in areas with dirt.

A refrigerator was at too high a temperature, raw burgers with stored in another fridge which was not switched on and there was no hot water for staff to wash their hands.

Owner Tilak Thilagaraj, 40, from Hounslow, Middlesex, admitted 13 charges of breaching food hygiene regulations when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

Len Batten, prosecuting for Brighton and Hove City Council, said environmental health officers visited the take-away on June 2 to carry out a routine hygiene inspection.

He said the premises had a history of low standards regarding food safety regulations.

Because of the dirty conditions the owner was advised that a thorough deep clean was needed and a food safety management system must be put in place.

The following day when an officer passed the take-away at 10am, when it was shut, they noticed the lamb and chicken doners had been left attached to rotational grills that were not switched on.

The officer returned at 5pm after the premises opened and informed staff that meat stored in such conditions could grow bacteria which cause food poisoning.

The staff threw the meat in a bin and the officer sprayed it with blue dye to ensure it would not be eaten.

Mr Batten said when officers visited again a week later a deep clean had taken place but when they returned in August the state of the premises had deteriorated again.

Mr Batten said conditions had recently improved. He said: "The property was recently inspected and is now of a higher standard and there is no current cause for concern."

Lucinda Dore, defending, said standards slipped while Thilagaraj was away. She said he was now selling the business because it was not making any money.

He was fined £1,300 and ordered to pay £1,640 costs.

Brighton and Hove City Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for environment, said: “There is no doubt that this premises was posing a threat to health and we had no hesitation in taking court action. Despite several visits and advice given to the business, it failed to implement basic food hygiene procedures.”