A SERIES of concerning food safety offences have seen a business slapped with a hefty fine.

Sandhu Enterprises UK Limited, a franchisee of Ambala, was put under the microscope by Reading Borough Council.

The Oxford Road sweet shop was subjected to a series of visits as part of an investigation into the source of food poisoning.

There was no evidence of this at the shop, but council officers found the standard of food safety management and staff training to be below standard.

The business owners now face paying a £30,000 fine and more than £7,000 in costs following a case at Reading Magistrates' Court.

Councillor Graeme Hoskin, lead member for Food Safety, said: “This successful prosecution shows the council’s commitment to protecting consumers from unsafe food hygiene practices.

"We take food violations very seriously and I want to thank our officers for their extensive work which has seen these food company owners held accountable for their actions.

“Whilst the vast majority of food outlets are responsible and meet the high standards of food safety, here is an example of offenders who did not appear to take those responsibilities seriously.

"There is no excuse for these kinds of breaches of basic food hygiene. This sends out a clear message that public safety remains a priority and poor standards will not to be tolerated.”

The owners of Sandhu Enterprises (UK) Limited pleaded guilty to 11 charges after three visits were undertaken over a six-week period.

Council officers were particularly concerned that food was not cooled or heated correctly and there was no system of stock rotation.

A hygiene improvement notice was served after a failure to implement a proper food safety management system.

The company has since invested in additional kitchen equipment to aid proper temperature control and staff have been retrained.

The last inspection of the premises in August raised the store’s rating from one star to three stars.