Court approves emergency closure of ‘filthy’ Ripon takeaway

A court has approved the emergency closure of a Chinese takeaway in Ripon which hygiene officers found to be filthy.

Harrogate Borough Council served the Dragon Inn Chinese Restaurant with a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order last week and took the owners to court.

Leeds Magistrates Court has now approved the closure and ordered the takeaway to pay the council’s costs of £1967.10 within 28 days.

The court heard how the council’s environmental health team found a series of potentially dangerous hygiene issues.

Officers found the Dragon Inn was filthy throughout, had very poor structural conditions, with the kitchen and other food preparation areas in a dirty state.

The basement with toilets was also dirty with no handwashing facilities. Staff were also seen to not wash their hands after handling raw food.

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We tried to contact the owner but found a notice at the door which said the business is closed until September 8 at the earliest.

The takeaway will only be allowed to reopen once the council is satisfied it no longer poses a risk to public health.

Dragon Inn has received ‘good’ four out of five food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council with the last inspection in January 2020.

It is the second food venue to be closed by the council under a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order in as many weeks.

Harrogate Borough Council believes that standards at some businesses have dropped since the UK has come out of the coronavirus lockdown.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“Since we came out of the lockdown periods the council is finding that hygiene standards have deteriorated significantly in some premises.

“It is imperative that food businesses maintain hygiene and food safety at all times, even more so during the currently covid-19 pandemic.

“Council offers work hard to provide guidance and advice for businesses so that they can operate safely.

“Any businesses who fail to act upon this advice, and the resulting inspection identifies a risk to public health, then we have no option but to consider formal action.”