Curry house fined over cockroach

Director of Shere Khan, Nighat Awan, received an OBE in 2004

The owners of a well-known Manchester curry house have been fined £40,000 after a diner found a live cockroach in his poppadoms.

The Shere Khan restaurant, on Rusholme's famous "curry-mile" was later found to be infested with insects during a health inspection.

The restaurant, which also has a branch in the Trafford Centre, is part of the Awan family's £30m curry empire.

The owners admitted eight food safety breaches before Manchester magistrates.

The court heard that live insects were found on sacks of rice and crawling across the floor.

The floor was covered in a "soup of grease, dirt and food debris", equipment was dirty, a plate rack was rusted and chopping boards were covered with old food.

Staffing has since been changed at the restaurant

The inspectors warned the owners that they would shut the restaurant unless they volunteered to close themselves, which they did.

On a return visit five days later, most of the problems had been sorted out.

Barry Holland, defending Shere Khan Restaurants, said: "They let their normal high standards slip.

"They did have experts trying to deal with the pest infestation.

He added: "The restaurant is part of a big group and the senior management's eye was taken off the ball with the day-to-day handling of the business in the hands of those who were not up to the job."

The company was fined £30,000 for breaching food hygiene standards at its Trafford centre outlet in May.

As a result, the restaurant closed down voluntarily until the situation had been resolved.

Director of Shere Khan Nighat Awan was named Asian businesswoman of the year four years ago.

She was also awarded an OBE in 2004.