Cockroaches and rat droppings found in Birmingham food outlets

Cockroaches were found in several food outlets prosecuted this year by Birmingham City Council (generic image)

Cockroaches, rat droppings and out-of-date food have been found in food outlets in Birmingham.

Fifteen firms have been fined a total of £7.66m between January and April for hygiene offences.

The prosecutions follow investigations carried out by the city council and have been compiled in a report for its licensing committee.

The cases included Tesco, which was fined £7.56m for selling out-of-date food at three stores in the city.

The supermarket admitted 22 breaches of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations in April at two Tesco Express stores, in the city centre and Bournville, and a Tesco Metro in Bristol Road South.

Tesco was fined £7.56m in April for 22 food hygiene breaches

Elsewhere, an investigation into Broadway 2 Ltd, a pizza and kebab takeaway on Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, found live and dead cockroaches throughout the building along with poorly sealed cracks and crevices.

The owners admitted two hygiene offences and were fined a total of £9,000.

Rat droppings were found in the Ocean Blue Fish Bar on Orphanage Road, Erdington, including on a kebab rotisserie, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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The owners pleaded guilty to four hygiene offences at Birmingham Magistrates' Court and was fined £400.

The report said offences at other outlets included mice droppings found throughout premises, dirty equipment, flaking paint and, in one case, paintbrushes for decorating being used to glaze naans.