PICTURES: Inside Kirkby takeaway which was closed due to poor hygiene

The application for a hygiene emergency prohibition order to close Kirkby Balti House, Kingsway, was heard by District Judge Tim Spruce at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court.

Environmental health officer Jane Taylor, for Ashfield District Council, told the court there was a “significant likelihood” of food becoming contaminated because of the “equipment, processes and premises”.

She said: “If the order is made the premises will stay closed until I am satisfied the procedures, equipment and premises are safe to open again.”

The court heard a previous order was made on February 14, after the premises were hit by a fire on February 9.

She said: “The officers worked with them to get the establishment up and running, but their food handling has slipped back to processes which would put the public at risk.”

District judge Spruce granted the order and owners Matiz Ali and Choudhry Shoaib-Ur-Raza were informed.

A council spokesman said council officers “were of the opinion there was a serious risk of cross-contamination from the equipment and the processes undertaken by the food handlers”.

Issues identified included lack of adequate separation between raw and ready-to-eat foods, inadequate cleaning of equipment/premises, inadequate disinfection procedures, poor personal hygiene particularly hand washing and handling practice, insufficient management controls and a lack of training and knowledge in food safety.

Councillor Nicolle Ndiweni, council portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “Food hygiene is of utmost importance and breaches can potentially lead to severe harm for members of the public.

“Preparing food in a dirty environment is not just bad practice, it can lead to serious illness or even death.”