A GOVERNMENT spokesman has said the prosecution of a Bradford market trader over rotten fruit was a "last resort" following several warnings.
Shikh Abdul Waheed, 63, who owns Fruit World at Oastler Shopping Centre, was fined £2,400 following an investigation by the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate, part of DEFRA.
Magistrates described the condition of some of the fruit at Waheed's stall as "truly appalling" before fining him £300 for each of the eight charges of selling rotten produce.
The prosecution followed numerous visits to the prominent stall in the city centre market.
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HMI is part of the Rural Payments Agency and operations director Paul Caldwell said: “Fresh produce should be good quality and the HMI’s work is important in ensuring these standards are met.
“Prosecution is a last resort and we always try to gain compliance with quality regulations through advice, guidance and instruction.
“In this particular case, the prosecution followed a series of visits to the shop over eight months. Between October 2013 and May 2014, the store received six visits from inspectors where advice and guidance on compliance was offered. However, poor quality produce was found on five occasions and inadequate labelling on every visit."
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