The owners of a take-away in Reigate have been fined more than £2,500 for a string of serious food and health and safety offences.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council took action to prosecute the owners of the Reigate Kebab and Burger House in London Road after they continuously failed to comply with the minimum legal standards to keep diners safe.

The offences included water leaking from the ceiling onto live electrics, and the display and handling of salad items being such that they were at risk of being contaminated by raw meats.

Adem and Clare Eskisan pleaded guilty to eight offences at South East Surrey Magistrates Court.

A third defendant, Tuncay Eskisan, also pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of an authorised officer.

The court heard the offences at the take-away also included failing to provide hot running water to hand wash sinks, and failing to provide hot running water to sinks used for washing equipment.

Other offences comprised of a failure to maintain the ceiling of a food room in good order, with watermarks, mould and flaking paint presenting a risk to open foods, poor repair to internal and external surfaces of the walk-in freezer unit, and a poor standard of repair to the floor of a food room.

The business had also failed to put in place a documented food safety management system, to ensure the safety of food offered for sale.

Further, the court heard Tuncay Eskisan had knowingly provided false or misleading information to an authorised officer.

Adem and Clare Eskisan were fined a total of £2,600.

A victim surcharge of £30 was also applied and the council was awarded costs of £900.

Tuncay Eskisan was fined £100 with an additional £15 victim surcharge.

A borough council spokeswoman said the take-away had been given a Food Hygiene Rating of zero out of a possible five, and the council’s Environmental Health Officers were working closely with the business to ensure improved hygiene and safety standards are maintained.

Steve Farrer, borough council executive member for safer communities, said: “The council has worked hard to get this business to comply with the minimum legal standards over a number of years.

“We have taken a range of actions from the provision of considerable advice and coaching, to legal Hygiene Improvement Notices.”

Coun Farrer said: “Prosecution is always seen as a last resort, but, unfortunately in this case, it was brought due to the council’s previous measures failing to secure any long-term improvement in food hygiene and health and safety standards.”

He said: “The council strives to ensure residents can expect the highest standards of food safety when eating out in the borough.”

People can view the hygiene ratings of food outlets in the borough at the council's website: www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/foodrating