A TAKEAWAY and a pub have been prosecuted after repeatedly ignoring the warnings of food inspectors.

The owners of Indian takeaway Salam’s in High Wycombe and the Dashwood Arms pub in Piddington were successfully prosecuted by Wycombe District Council over food safety regulations.

Cllr Jean Teesdale, WDC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "The public should be able to consume food from any outlet with the confidence it is prepared using the highest of food hygiene practices which are continuously and effectively monitored.

"That's why we take action to protect the public when food hygiene laws are flouted."

Takeaway owners Waseem Salam and Abdul Salam pleaded guilty to seven food safety offences at Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court on July 17.

They were ordered to pay a £2,800 fine and £4,460.07 costs. Each defendant had to pay a victim surcharge of £20.

It followed an inspection of the Arnison Avenue takeout in July 2012 by Environmental Health officers who found the food equipment and premises to be dirty.

They also ruled workers wore filthy clothes, food preparation areas were in a poor state of repair, hand wash basins were inadequate and the takeaway had no safe procedures in place.

The owners had been told to rectify the issues during inspections in 2012 and 2011.

The takeaway currently has a rating of one in the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - 'Major Improvement Necessary'.

Waseem Salam told the Bucks Free Press yesterday that the original inspection took place more than a year ago and a subsequent one had shown satisfactory results.

He added that the infractions had been relatively minor, such as a lack of paper towels or detergent, and that nothing hazardous had been found in any food served to customers.

Mr Salam also noted that takeaway's kitchen was visible from the shopfront. He said: "All the food that is being made here the customer can see."

The council was also successful in its prosecution of the owner of the Dashwood Arms in Piddington.

Wayne Mitchell pleaded guilty to five food safety offences at Wycombe Law Courts on July 18. He was handed a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1000 in costs.

Environmental Health officers inspected the Old Oxford Road pub on August 3, 2012, and found the kitchen in a poor state of repair.

Inspectors also discovered staff did not have food hygiene training, food equipment was dirty and there was a risk of food contamination.

They also found the pubs procedures were inadequate and records had been fabricated for the days ahead. These matters were raised with the pub owner during three previous inspections dating back to April 2011.

Steve Ferguson, the pub's manager, said there was never any danger to the safety of punters or of the kitchen being shut down by health inspectors.

He said: "It was about paperwork and record keeping, it didn't get done. But there was never any danger the kitchen would be closed.

"But everything is now in place and the pub is moving forward."

The pub has a rating of two on the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which means 'Improvement Necessary'.

Residents can check the rating of any food premises within the district on the council’s website: http://mywycombe.wycombe.gov.uk/