A sushi restaurant has been shut down after rodent droppings were found in a storeroom and a diner was rushed to hospital.
Sushi One in Chelmsford, Essex, was deemed a "threat to pubic safety" and forced to close by a court ruling.
One customer suffered an anaphylactic shock after eating at the all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant which had received multiple warnings about hygiene standards by the council.
Inspectors from Environmental Health found raw meat left uncovered inside freezers and in open containers on the floor next to cleaning equipment.
Rodent droppings were also found on the floor of the restaurant, Essex Live reported.
Chelmsford City Council said they took "every step" to hold the owners of the restaurant accountable for their hygiene standards.
The Environmental Health team found raw meat uncovered inside freezers, and in open containers on the floor next to cleaning equipment, as well as rodent droppings on the floor.
Inspectors rated the restaurant one star and then zero stars out of five on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
They demanded the owners to make immediate improvements and served them with multiple hygiene improvement notices.
However, the council said these demands were ignored, leaving them with no choice but to go to court.
The local authority found failings including a lack of a documented food safety management system, poor condition of premises structure, poor cleaning levels, poor pest control and evidence of contamination and poor stock rotation.
A member of the public also reported Sushi One to the council and Trading Standards when she suffered an anaphylactic shock after eating there.
The customer had told staff about her severe nut allergy before ordering and was assured that her meal would not and did not contain nuts.
After eating, she suffered an anaphylactic attack that resulted in her requiring hospital treatment.
A follow-up inspection found this was caused by contamination, due to a lack of a food safety management system and issued further instructions for improvement.
With their demands going unanswered, the council deemed Sushi One "a threat to public safety" and opted to begin criminal proceedings.
The restaurant's owner was sentenced for failure to comply with two food Hygiene Improvement Notices at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on April 27.
One of these notices related to a lack of a food safety management system and the second related to poor structure conditions.
The business owner was ordered to pay a £24,000 fine and all court costs for the prosecution.
On top of this, a Hygiene Prohibition Notice was imposed on the business, meaning it cannot operate until a hygiene inspection finds that standards are to the satisfaction of the city council.
The judge said: “As to culpability, this is in the highest category.
"City Council told the company what the [problems] were, explained very clearly what had to happen and the company simply ignored it. That is a deliberate and flagrant disregard.”
Izzie Daniel, lead compliance officer for the case, says prohibition notices like this one are rarely issued.
She added: “Food outlets are under huge pressure, with rising energy costs only adding to the strains already facing their industry post-pandemic.
"A common reaction to loss of profits is to cut back on staff, but this can lead to the remaining staff being stretched too thin and standards dropping.
"No one wants to see businesses close, especially in such a trying time, which is why we always offer advice and allow them time to rectify any problems in the first instance.
"Unfortunately, in the case of Sushi One, no efforts were made to comply with notices until it was too late. We implore businesses to heed our advice at inspections, to avoid this kind of outcome."
Sushi One will be able to reopen if it complies with the Hygiene Improvement Notices issued to them, and a hygiene inspection finds that standards are to the satisfaction of the City Council.
They will also be subject to ongoing inspections from Environmental Health officers, as are all businesses.
