TAKEAWAY owners who served food in a filthy shop have been fined more than £5,000 for a catalogue of hygiene offences.

Azhar Ahmed, of Rothwell Street, Bolton, and Musbashar Ahmed, aged 25, of Gower Street, Bolton, pleaded guilty at Bolton Magistrates’ Court to a total of 34 offences committed between March and July last year at the Al Noor takeaway on Newport Street.

There was rotting food waste in the kitchen, dirty food preparation equipment, lack of hand cleaning materials and protective clothing, an unw-rapped kebab stored in a dirty freezer and poor pest control.

Bolton Council had given the pair opportunities to clean up the premises, but they had failed to.

In September, 2011, a food hygiene inspection was carried out at the takeaway and it was given a rating of just one, the second lowest score under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

The owners were told major improvements were needed, with legal notices issued insisting that work to clean up and repair the premises be carried out, but the situation did not improve.

“The decision to prosecute was based on the food business operator’s blatant disregard of the law, the poor history of compliance and failing with legal notices requiring remedial action,” said a council spokesman.

Azhar Ahmed was fined £3,400 plus £1,583 costs and Mubashar Ahmed was fined £1,700 plus £1,583 costs.

The shop has closed and a new takeaway, Tasty Chicken, has opened on the site. It is not believed to be connected.

A council spokesman said advice is given to businesses to help them comply with food hygiene laws but action is taken against those who continue to run businesses with poor standards of hygiene.

Food hygiene ratings in Bolton can be seen at www.ratings.food.gov.uk