A FISH and chip shop next to one of the District’s busiest parks was found in a dirty condition on three separate inspections held just a few days apart.

Karl Wayne Hughes, owner of Glenaire Fisheries, Coach Road, Baildon, was ordered to pay almost £5,000 when he appeared in court on Thursday to answer 10 food hygiene charges.

The charges related to three inspections to the chippy – next to Roberts Park in Saltaire, on January 17, January 20 and January 23.

They included that the business was found “generally in a dirty and greasy condition,” that the glass door in the hot holding cabinet was in “poor repair,” that tools used to scoop food were dirty and that a white coat worn by staff was dirty.

There was also no hand drying equipment in a downstairs toilet.

Hughes, 53, of Denby Drive, pleaded guilty to all 10 charges.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said issues raised during a visit on January 17 had not been dealt with on the two subsequent inspections.

He added: “You would have thought after the first visit there wouldn’t have been a repetition of the offences, but as you can see from the charges, there was.”

He said there had been a history of issues with the business, referring to an inspection in August 2018 when officers found there was no hot water in the chippy.

Magistrates were told that at the January 17 visit, Hughes told officers that he had only just re-opened the business that morning, having closed it in September.

Mr Ryatt said: “It is hard to imagine it could have got that dirty in one morning.

“If he had closed the premises in September, he mustn’t have cleaned it prior to closing or prior to opening.”

He told the court that officers looked online and saw the chippy had a number of reviews on sites such as Just Eat, with one review being made in late October. He said: “That indicates the business had been open in that period.”

He said: “The fact that he continued to operate the business without cleaning the premises in January shows a wilful disregard for his obligations.”

Hughes, representing himself, said: “The reason it was in such a state was because I got an electricity bill of £3,500 and had to shut down. But I got the electricity back and that is why the place was such a mess.

“I re-opened it without cleaning, that’s why it was like it was.”

He said the chippy has since received a three rating on its most recent food hygiene inspection.

Magistrates fined Hughes £1,066 and ordered him to pay £3,495 costs to the Council and a £426 surcharge.