PET food traders facing a number of food hygiene breaches have been fined after an undercover investigation found a filthy van making deliveries of pet food to a caterer who supplied a number of ethnic festivals with food, including Swindon's Goan Festival.

David Pegg, 45, of Manor Road, Tamworth, and William Uzzell, 70, of Suffolk Way, Fazley, both pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to comply with animal by-product requirements and a further charge of failing to comply with EU provision on food safety and hygiene under their business name of MG Meats.

The pair were hauled before the court after residents in Swindon became suspicious when their delivery van – emblazoned with 'The Dog’s Dinner' - was seen making deliveries of food to a man who supplied Goan and Indian food to a number of festivals around the country.

Royly Da Silva, 37, of Salisbury Street, was the owner of the now closed catering company Royal Food, and last month he received a court fine of £6,500 after admitting 16 food safety breaches.

The court heard that Uzzell had previously run a stall at the Blunsdon market where he had met Da Silva.

While environmental health officers were carrying out covert surveillance on him and the source of his meat products they found deliveries being made at his Salisbury Street address and in a supermarket car park.

Prosecuting on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, Phil Wirth told magistrates sitting in Swindon on Monday afternoon they had found an unrefrigerated van, containing plastic tubs of offal and pet food.

“There was no certification to accompany the delivery or any effective separation between the pet food products and the food intended for human consumption to ensure no contamination. The van was not refrigerated,” he said.

“These offences clearly relate to matters that affect public health and safety and exposed the public to significant health risks.”

But defending the pair, Phillip Haycock told the magistrates that neither defendant had a criminal record and had fully complied with the investigations, despite working 70 hour weeks to keep their business going.

“The defendants accept that their behaviour at the time didn’t comply with the regulations, but since this incident the packaging of the meat that they supply for dog food – and the van itself – is compliant with EU regulations,” he said.

He further explained that they had no idea what Da Silva intended to do with the meat, and were merely fulfilling orders for him.

Sentencing them, chairman Peter Wells told the pair that the bench viewed the crimes as serious offences and they each held a high degree of culpability.

They received a £2,000 fine for each of their offences, which the magistrates reduced by a third in light of their guilty pleas, which lands them each with a bill of £8,000.

Uzzell was ordered to pay £1,500 towards the prosecution’s costs, while Pegg must stump up £1,200. The each have to pay a victim surcharge of £120.