The manager of a rat-infested Chinese takeaway put customers at risk by preparing food in sub-standard conditions.

The Silver Swan on Coychurch Road, Pencoed, was investigated by environmental health officers between March 6 and December 6 last year.

Manager Yun Long Chen, aged 26, pleaded guilty to eight food hygiene offences at Bridgend Magistrates’ Court.

Andrea Lee, prosecuting for Bridgend County Borough Council, said environmental health officers discovered a serious infestation of rats at the premises.

“They found a number of rodent droppings under the stairs and a very strong smell of urine,” she said.

“They also noticed a number of mouse-bitten boxes in the storeroom and droppings under the chest freezer.

“The wiring throughout the premises was in a poor condition due to rats gnawing the plastic coating.

“They found numerous black bags containing rotting food stuffs and a number had been gnawed which was evidence of rodent activity.”

Further investigation revealed a series of holes in the outer wall, large enough for unwanted pests to fit through.

Officers were proved right when they noticed something moving inside the fascias.

“When they were standing in the rear parking area, they noticed a rat in the roof cavity of the Silver Swan,” said Mrs Lee.

“The rat’s tail poked out and was moving. It stayed there for several minutes and seemed happy. There were also large rat holes that had been buried into the soil in the ground.”

Environmental health concluded there was imminent risk of salmonella, typhoid and Weil’s disease, and ordered the Silver Swan be closed immediately.

The premises reopened five days later, but officers returned to the takeaway on November 2.

Its kitchen floor, extracting canopy, microwave and worktops were all dirty and there was no soap or hand washing facilities.

Raw prawns were kept on top of cooked prawns causing risk of cross-contamination, and raw meat had been defrosted and stored in a hand basin. A large hole in the rear door exposed the property to pests.

David Mason, defending, said Chen had suffered a culture shock since settling in the UK five years ago.

“Mr Chen has undergone an extremely steep learning curve,” he said.

“He did not fully appreciate or understand how to run a takeaway restaurant. He had experience in preparing food in other takeaways but took no notice of any environmental issues attached to his industry.

“He is in fact a naive young man because he went into this business with his eyes closed – because his ambition was too big for him to see beyond.”

Chen was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also made subject of a two-year supervision order, and ordered to pay £1,477.30 costs.

by Gareth Evans, Glamorgan Gazette