Caked in filth

What the inspectors found at Sykes and Landing Bakers.

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MOUSE droppings, filthy work surfaces and greasy walls greeted environmental health officers when they visited bakeries in Royton and Shaw.

Inspections were carried out at Sykes and Landing Bakers in Rochdale Road, Shaw, on January 28 and at the Boardman and Bell Bakery in Oldham Road, Royton, on March 25.

At Sykes and Landing Bakers, senior environmental health officer Vivienne Johnson found the premises to be in a poor state of repair with moth frass (excreta produced by the larvae of moths) and mouse droppings discovered in several areas.

Hand washing facilities were inadequate and the sink was full of dirty equipment. Drains were severely clogged with food debris causing a horrible smell in the bakery.

Cream
Staff were also found to be using re-usable pipes to put cream into cakes without being able to explain how they would be washed before the next use.

Owner Nigel Stott pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to comply with regulations and told the court that the business went into liquidation last December. It had re-opened in January but has since closed down permanently.

He said he had been in the baking trade for 24 years and had put his life savings and pension into the business when he bought the premises in 2004. Over the years he saw trade slump by 50 per cent and struggled to find good quality suppliers.

Stott, of Limefield Terrace, Littleborough, was fined £540 and ordered to pay £900 costs.

When senior environmental officer Samantha Jackson carried out an inspection at Boardman and Bell Bakery, she discovered mouse droppings on the floor of the cake and pie preparation area.

Walls and areas of the floor had not been properly cleaned leading to a build-up of grease and grime.

A gap at the bottom of the back door provided an access point for pests and areas of broken tiling had been repaired with concrete which was in a poor state of repair.

Follow-up visits showed that improvements were being made but inspectors noted that there was still more to be done to bring it up to the required standard.

Director Jennifer Boardman pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to comply with regulations.

She told the court that she had owned the business for 26 years and had always had an exemplary hygiene record.

Boardman said that the business had struggled to cope with the recession, competition from supermarkets and nearby shops, parking restrictions and roadworks causing takings to drop.

Magistrates fined her £630 and ordered her to pay £1,050 in costs.
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