Luton takeaway owner handed suspended sentence for health and safety offences at restaurant

The owner of a Luton Royal Peri Peri takeaway for food safety was prosecuted today for health and safety and waste related offences.

When Council food and safety officers visited Royal Peri Peri, 140a Leagrave Road, last December, they discovered poor standards of cleanliness and hygiene including unsafe electrics and evidence of pest activity. Officers told the owner to clean up the kitchen and improve food hygiene practices, and served health and safety and food hygiene improvement notices.

When officers visited the premises again, they found standards had not improved and the hygiene and health and safety improvement notices had not been fully complied with.

Officers then revisited Royal Peri Peri several times but each time they found little improvement, despite repeated advice to the owner on what needed to be done to improve standards.

Royal Peri Peri’s owner Mr Ali Khan pleaded guilty at Luton Magistrates Court on 25 August to two health and safety offences, 14 food hygiene offences and a section 34 Environmental Protection Act offence for waste related matters. Mr Ali Khan’s brother, Mr Atif Khan, pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer in the course of their duty and a Section 6 (1) Bail Act Offence.

While the Council took legal proceedings against both Mr Ali Khan and Mr Atif Khan, Mr Atif Khan maintained that his involvement in the food business as a joint food business owner was a case of mistaken identity.

The Court sentenced Mr Ali Khan to an 18 week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Mr Ali Khan is also prohibited from managing a food business for 4 years, and was ordered to pay Council costs of £2,825 and a £100 court surcharge.

Cllr Jacqui Burnett, portfolio holder for Environmental Health, said: “Hundreds of food businesses in Luton manage to comply with food hygiene regulations and are clean and safe. But any businesses choosing to ignore basic hygiene requirements, and not having proper waste disposal and putting people’s lives at risk, can expect a fine and a possible prison sentence. The Council also takes acts of obstruction against officers very seriously.”