THE owner of a Bradford fish and chip shop which was taken to court over food hygiene breaches has said "improvements have been made" - and insisted his business remains open.

Mohammed Shabir, owner of Park Fisheries on Otley Road, appeared in court to answer a string of charges relating to two inspections carried out at the premises - in 2022 and 2023.

Magistrates were shown pictures taken during the 2022 inspection of rat poo on the floor and some equipment surfaces. And they were told there were still filthy conditions at the business when inspectors revisited the following year.

They heard the business had since improved and currently had a food hygiene rating of three.

Mr Shabir, 64, of Oak Villas, Manningham, pleaded guilty to seven charges of breaching EU food hygiene rules when he appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court last Thursday.

He was fined £1,536, ordered to pay £4,611 costs and a £614 surcharge.

Mr Shabir told the Telegraph & Argus today: "Improvements have been made since this incident. 

"We started making improvements two years ago immediately after the incident was identified.

"We have a three-star food hygiene rating.

"We're definitely not closed, we're still here on Otley Road.

"We've been here 30+ years under the same ownership and we want to get across the message that improvements have been made and we're still very much open for business."

During last week's court case, the chair of the bench said: "I wonder what you thought you were doing serving food and charging for food that had been prepared in a rat-infested premises?"

He said the the risk to individuals, customers and staff was "very high".

Asked about the food hygiene rules he admitted breaching, Mr Shabir said: "Issues often happen in every takeaway."

He added: "It's always busy here and we get lots of good reviews.

"Lots of people say we serve good-quality food."

According to the Food Standards Agency, Park Fisheries was last inspected on May 28 this year.

It was found to be 'generally satisfactory' in hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.

It was found to be 'generally satisfactory' in cleanliness and the condition of facilities and the building to enable good food hygiene.

And it was also found to be 'generally satisfactory' in terms of management of food safety