Owner of dirty cafe receives fine

The owner of a cafe in Kinross-shire has been fined £1,000 after inspectors discovered a dead slug, dead mice and rodent gnaw marks behind a freezer.

Dirt and mould was also found on floors, shelves and walls at the Powmill Milk Bar in January last year.

Glass from a broken Christmas tree lightbulb was discovered in a cooking tray, the freezer was rusty and the oven door did not close properly.

Ann Whitelaw admitted three charges relating to food health and safety.

The dirt, and the danger, speaks for itself Robbie Brown Fiscal depute

A further four charges were dropped by the Crown and Whitelaw, 51, from Rumbling Bridge, told the court that extensive efforts had been made to bring the premises up to standard.

Whitelaw had worked at the cafe since she was 14 and has been the owner for the last 28 years.

Fiscal depute Robbie Brown told Perth Sheriff Court that there had been problems before and the raid in January "would not have come as a total surprise."

He said the matter came to a head after a customer complained to environmental health officers about an issue with the hot water at the premises.

Mr Brown said: "There were areas where there was dirt and the surfaces had not been cleaned properly. The dirt, and the danger, speaks for itself.

"It was harbourage for bacteria where there wasn't proper cleaning. That obviously leads to the danger of food waste being there as a food source for vermin.

"Floor coverings, shelves and walls were dirty and covered in mould and provided a source of food for vermin."