A Pizza Hut where hygiene inspectors found rat droppings and evidence of an infestation has been fined more than £20,000.

Mizan Syed, the franchisee of Pizza Hut in High Street, Ponders End, has been fined £2,000, and his company Exultant Limited fined £20,000 over the food safety breaches discovered in 2022.

Legal costs bring the total bill to more than £30,000.

When Enfield Council’s environmental health team visited the premises, on October 14, 2022, they discovered evidence of a rat infestation and droppings, as well as food products damaged by rats, inadequate pest proofing and a lack of cleanliness. 

Mizan Syed, the Pizza Hut franchisee and sole company director of Exultant Limited, takeaway immediately and voluntarily closed the premises due to the risk to public health. 

Subsequent visits by council officers found inadequate cleaning practices, including an accumulation of debris under appliances, shelving and inadequate cleaning of food preparation surfaces.

2. Rat droppings and gnaw marks on sauce pots found under shelving in the storeroom2. Rat droppings and gnaw marks on sauce pots found under shelving in the storeroom (Image: Enfield Council)

Enfield Council's environmental health team alerted Syed to evidence of a rat infestation, structural issues including pest proofing, cleaning and disrepair, risk of food contamination from rats as well as "unsatisfactory" storage practices and food stored above 8C overnight.  

The premises was given a one star food hygiene rating. Any score below three out of five is deemed to be non-compliant with food law.

Rat gnaw marks on the packaging of sliced green jalapenos pizza toppingRat gnaw marks on the packaging of sliced green jalapenos pizza topping (Image: Enfield Council)

At the first hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on December 7, 2023, Exultant Ltd, pleaded guilty to all charges but Syed, of High Wycombe, pleaded not guilty.

On the first day of trial on September 16, 2024, Mr Syed made an application of ‘no case to answer’, but the District Judge dismissed his application and later found him guilty of all charges.

Exultant Ltd was fined £20,000 with costs of £1,258.41. Syed was fined £2,000 with costs of £6,528.41 and a surcharge of £800. The combined total is £30,586.82.