Rat ran over inspector's foot at Wotton-under-Edge takeaway

Pizza Planet in Wotton-under-Edge has since reopened under new management

The former owner of a takeaway where a rat ran over a hygiene inspector's feet has been fined.

Stroud District Council said the rodent was spotted darting across Pizza Planet in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, in November.

Droppings and a dirty and cluttered kitchen were discovered during a separate inspection.

Ali Izadi, of Gloucester, admitted five food safety and licensing offences at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court.

In an initial inspection in October, which followed a complaint, the council said its inspectors found rats, droppings, and an unusable hand washing basin in the dirty kitchen.

The takeaway was closed down for two weeks and given a food hygiene rating of zero.

Improvement notices were issued, and during a follow up inspection a month later, a large brown rat ran across the floor and over the inspector's feet before disappearing through a hole, the authority said.

Izadi, 33, of Vauxhall Road, subsequently agreed to close the business while further remedial work was carried out.

He was also found to be selling alcohol, in breach of the conditions of the licence for the premises, and was ordered to pay £1,672 in fines and costs.

The council said the takeaway had since reopened under new management.