IF you’re looking for the perfect place to have a romantic dinner for two this Valentine’s Day, it might be best to give these restaurants a miss.

The Food Standards Agency has given 12 Swindon eateries a food hygiene rating of either a one or a zero.

Inspectors who visited found evidence of unhygienic food handling, poor management of food safety, or unclean facilities.

The Queens Tap and Siana both received zero ratings after their inspections.

The Saracens Head Hotel in Highworth also scored zero but it has recently been re-inspected, and since January 30 has scored 4, although the upgrade is yet to show on the FSA website.

Other restaurants given a rating of one include Beenies Carribean Cuisine, Frankie & Benny’s at Greenbridge, JRC Global Buffet Swindon, The New Calley Arms, The Pig on the Hill and the Royal Oak Inn.

Swindonians we spoke to yesterday were surprised that so many restaurants in town had such low ratings.

Scott Croucher, 27, from Rodbourne, said: “I would not be impressed, I’d steer clear.

“I tend to check the rating in advance and always go for places that have been recommended to me.”

Jan Neill, 74, from the Lawns, said: “I often eat out and I wouldn’t be too happy if I found out a place that I’d gone to had such a low rating.

“However, I would want to know how often they are inspected.

“My concern is when they do an inspection and find flaws, it takes a long time before people find out about them.

“People should be told quickly and they’re not.”

Maura Donovan, from Old Town, said: “If they received a zero, I wouldn’t expect them to still be in business.

“But it’s not really something I check before I go.

“The first thing I do when I get to a restaurant is check the toilets, see if they’re clean.

“In a way, I carry out my own hygiene survey!”

RATED 0

The Queens Tap, Station Rd

Siana, Victoria Road

Saracens Head Hotel, Highworth

RATED 1

The Royal Oak, Devizes Rd

The Pig on the Hill, Devizes Rd

The New Calley Arms, Ham Rd

The Banquet, Regent Street

Taj Mahal, Shaw Ridge Leisure Park

Patriots Arms, New Rd, Chiseldon

Frankie & Benny’s, Greenbridge

Beenies Caribbean Cuisine, Byron St

JRC Global Buffet, Holbrook Way