A Keighley butcher claims his trade has been decimated following a court appearance on food safety charges by the former owners of his business.

Simon Arnold, 33, bought Sutcliffe's Butchers, in Keighley Market Hall, in January -- unaware of the pending court case against its previous owners.

The two former owners were each fined a total of £1,200 by Bingley Magistrates last month for breaching food safety regulations.

"I had been working 70 hours a week to build up the business throughout the summer," says Simon. "Takings had gone up from £1,700 a week to around £3,500, but since the case they have dropped back to where they were originally. It is heart-breaking."

Simon, who started working as a butcher when he was 11, says the first he knew of the impending court case was when a Bradford environmental health officer arrived at his market stall.

"At first she walked out again, thinking she was in the wrong place," he says. "She said she was very impressed with the state of the shop compared to the last time she had visited, and mentioned the impending prosecution."

Simon runs the business with part-time help from partner Linda Rimmington. He employs trainee butcher Daniel Brett, but had to send him home this week because trade was so bad.

"It is devastating," says Simon. "The last two weeks have been horrendous. We have worked so hard and now we have to watch customers walk past on their way to other shops."

Simon's business has been given a clean bill of health by the authorities, and Simon himself has all the required qualifications. He has certificates in basic and intermediate food hygiene, and has completed the meat managers hygiene and HACCP course.