THE Bolton boss of a cockroach-infested takeaway has admitted 16 food hygiene breaches.

Toseeb Khan, aged 25, of Crescent Road, Great Lever, runs Flamingos takeaway in Chorley town centre.

He took over the fast food business from his uncle in December 2009.

Chorley Council closed the Chapel Street takeaway for eight weeks in July 2010 after a complaint led to environmental health officers discovering a cockroach infestation.

Inspectors also found live and dead insects throughout the premises, filthy chopping boards, dirty equipment and grease-covered plug sockets. The staff toilet was dirty, the basin was unused and there was no soap or hand drying facilities in the building.

Open raw meats were also found stored above readyto- eat foods.

A hygiene emergency prohibition notice was served and the shop was closed within the hour.

Khan was fined £300 for each offence, totalling £4,800 and ordered to pay £4,879 costs and a victim surcharge of £15, in the prosecution brought by Chorley Council.

Cllr Eric Bell, who has responsibility for environmental health at Chorley Council, said: “This is one of the worst cases of food hygiene breaches Chorley has seen.

“The operator acted completely irresponsibly and took no control of what was going on in his business.”

Pest control measures were taken to treat the infestation and officers visited the premises regularly over a three-month period, during which a large number of cockroaches were caught throughout the shop and in the flat above.

In September, the council lifted the order, allowing the shop to re-open. Khan attended a training course and introduced a documented food safety management system.

Leyland magistrates heard Khan accepted a request to become manager without any training or experience.

He admitted not knowing whether his staff had any food safety training, but blamed them for much of the hygiene issue.