A KITCHEN hygiene "horror story" has ended in a curry house manager being fined £12,000.

Mahmod Ali, who runs The Curry Place Tandoori, Rodbourne Road, admitted 17 food hygiene offences when he appeared before Chippenham magistrates. The restaurant has since been shut.

District Judge Simon Cooper described the scene uncovered by council officers in the curry house's kitchen as a "horror story".

Swindon Borough Council brought the charges after finding filthy surfaces, no temperature control and a high risk of cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food in the Rodbourne restaurant.

Ali was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,878 to the council and a £170 victim surcharge. District Judge Cooper also banned Ali from operating a food businesses or managing employees in a food business for the next 12 months.

Welcoming the verdict, Coun Cathy Martyn, cabinet member for public safety, said: “It is extremely important that people in Swindon are confident that the town’s takeaways and restaurants produce food in a safe and hygienic way.

“We work closely with food businesses to help them comply with hygiene requirements, but in some cases matters are so serious we have to take formal action.

“The vast majority of food businesses we inspect are doing a good job. However, Mr Ali continued with poor practices and the small improvements that were made fell well short of industry standards.

“The outcome of this case, and significant fine imposed, highlights how seriously we take issues of food hygiene and making sure our residents are protected from bad practices."