POOR hygiene ratings at takeaways and sandwich shops mean Bolton is one of the 15 worst local authorities for cleanliness.

A study of national Scores On The Doors data by LoveMyVouchers.co.uk shows 29.9 per cent of the area’s inspected premises achieved a rating of zero — which means ‘urgent improvement necessary’ — or a one or two out of five.

This leaves the borough 13th in the league table of English and Wales councils for a prevalence of lower graded shops. Only Wigan fared worse in Greater Manchester.

A council spokeswoman said: “The council’s food safety team is robust and vigilant in carrying out inspections.

“Inspection frequency is based on the nature of each business and its compliance history.

“In Bolton, over 87 per cent of businesses have a rating of three or above and are now classed as broadly compliant with standards of food safety.”

Every business that scores zero is given both a written warning that identifies any contraventions of food law and a timescale to rectify any issues before a follow-up visit is due. Some are given a Hygiene Improvement Notice and if really bad may be forced to shut until standards have improved.

LoveMyVouchers.co.uk director Linda Firth said, “The study was conducted to raise awareness about the importance of food hygiene ratings, as they are not always obvious for takeaways, particularly in England. Many of the top food ordering websites do not currently display the ratings so customers need to be mindful of this when they are ordering food.”