A takeaway at the centre of a probe into the death of a teenager after a suspected allergic reaction also had multiple health and safety breaches, the ECHO can reveal.
Council records show Uno Pizza in Prescot was issued with five health and safety enforcement notices by environmental health officers a week after the death of 16-year-old Nick Kelly.
The teenager is believed to have suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating a meal from the takeaway.
The enforcement notices did not relate to food safety but rather the physical condition of the building and a general lack of maintenance. All but one of the notices have since been complied with following repairs.
Environmental health officers found a damaged ceiling and inadequate lighting, presenting a risk of a slip, trip or fall.
They also discovered damaged flooring on the first floor, a damaged staircase where part of the handrail was missing, while inspectors found “no evidence of recent proactive or reactive maintenance.”
The only outstanding notice relates to wiring in a back office, where inspectors found a damaged electrical socket with wire “bypassing the fused plastic fitting”.
Uno Pizza’s management told the ECHO that the problems had now been fixed, adding: “This is the cleanest shop in Prescot and the customers know that.”
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Although none of the health and safety notices relate to food safety, inspectors also gave Uno Pizza a zero star food hygiene rating after a visit on March 19, ten days after Nick Kelly’s visit.
Inspectors said the takeaway required “major improvement” in hygienic food handling and management of food safety, while improvement was also necessary in the cleanliness and condition of the premises.
Knowsley Council has so far refused to release the full details of the inspectors’ findings due to the ongoing police investigation into Nick Kelly’s death, but the zero star rating remains in place.
Nick's dad has previously revealed his son had a nut allergy, stating he fell suddenly ill after buying and consuming doner meat covered in tomato sauce.
But the Chapel Street takeaway has denied this, saying his order had come with mayonnaise instead.
Bosses also claimed they were not aware of regular customer Nick's allergies.
In a statement issued to the ECHO at the time, the takeaway outlet said: "Firstly, we would like to express our sincere condolences to the family at this difficult time.
"The teenager, Nick Kelly, was a regular customer attending the shop 2-3 times per week, ordering a similar dish each time – doner meat with mayonnaise or small chips.
"On Saturday, 8th March, 2020 between the approximate times of 10:30-11:00pm, Nick Kelly approached a member of our team outside the shop and ordered a portion of doner meat with mayonnaise.
"This meal was provided as ordered, and Nick Kelly proceeded to eat the dish whilst outside the shop."
The investigation into Nick’s death remains ongoing and an inquest is expected to take place in due course.
