The owner of an Ilkley Chinese restaurant, where environmental health officers discovered "filthy" conditions, was ordered by magistrates to pay £4,250 in fines and costs.

Sau Wan Chan Lee, 51, owner of the Po Sang Chinese restaurant in Wells Road, admitted five breaches of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations when she appeared before Bingley magistrates yesterday.

Richard Winter, prosecuting for Bradford Council, said environmental health officers visited the restaurant for a routine inspection on January 20 last year and found several potential breaches.

He said Lee, of Sedburgh Park, Ilkley, was warned they would return in a week and if things had not improved legal action could be taken.

A follow-up visit was carried out on January 26 and officers were not satisfied with the premises.

Mr Winter said conditions included:

l the kitchen floor in a "filthy'' condition;

l extensive accumulation of old oil, rice and other food debris beneath equipment;

l a cigarette end on the floor next to a fridge;

l walls splashed with old grease and food debris and filthy woodwork in the kitchen with paintwork badly chipped, making it impossible to keep clean.

l fridges and microwave in a dirty condition;

l a dirty cooker, wok and smaller utensils;

l dirty hand-contact points such as electrical switches and handles;

l no hand washing basin for food handlers;

l no soap or materials for hand drying;

l kitchen staff exposing large areas of outdoor clothing, posing a risk of food contamination;

l rodent bait spilled over the floor in a basement storage area.

Mr Winter said there was no suggestion of any food poisoning issues arising, and when the restaurant was revisited in March this year there had been improvements.

Robin Irvine, for Lee, said the six days given to put the premises in order was inadequate. Lee's English was poor and she had never been given a copy of regulations in Cantonese.

He said that since the inspection she had replaced the restaurant's head chef and manager, and the firm contracted to clean the premises.

He said Lee had not deliberately breached the regulations or sought to profit from them, and over the past year some £7,500 had been spent on improvements - including a hand basin, new equipment, staff training in food hygiene - and the commission of her own report compiled by an environmental health officer.

Mr Irvine said Lee was inviting the Council to reinspect the restaurant, adding: "The issues have now been addressed. She's gone to difficulty, time and expense to deal with them.''

Magistrates fined Lee a total of £2,750 and ordered her to pay £1,500 costs.

Chairman Shirley Twigg told her: "Premises such as yours must comply with food hygiene and safety regulations.

"If there is a language problem it's even more important to find out about any regulations before becoming an owner or getting a business going.''