Scottish restaurant to reopen after rodent infestation

A restaurant in Scotland has been given the green light to reopen after it was forced to shut for two weeks following an "out of control" mouse infestation.

The Star Sea restaurant in Edinburgh posed an "imminent risk to health" according to City Council environmental health inspectors, who found that food served at the eatery had been "clearly gnawed by rodents".

The council’s report found that the Star Sea’s hand-washing facilities were inadequate, sinks were leaking and backing up with foul smelling water, and several areas of wall were covered in mould.

Officers served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice on the restaurant during the inspection in June.

However, the problems have now been fixed and the restaurant has reopened after inspectors deemed it fit for food preparation.

Proprietor Dong said he accepted the council’s decision to close the restaurant.

"Things are much better now. We spoke to all the staff about cleaning and it is done every day now, which also makes it much easier,” he told BBC Scotland. 

“It wasn't done properly before, but we spoke to all the staff and it's so much better now.

"The inspector is a really nice man, and he has been really helpful with advice which I follow. Business is good and we have no complaints from customers."

Robert Aldridge, Edinburgh City Council environment leader, added: "Residents and visitors to Edinburgh are entitled to expect the highest standards of food hygiene when they eat in the city and it's important for them to have confidence that they can eat out safely.”

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By Kerstin Kühn

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