THE owner of a rat-infested takeaway has been fined nearly £20k for its unhygienic practices.

Monsour Inferadi, owner of The Charcoal Grill kebab shop, in Rumbridge Street, Totton, was handed £15,000 in fines for food hygiene offences.

He was also ordered to pay £2,824.47 costs following the prosecution at Southampton Magistrates’ Court by New Forest District Council.

The court heard that during a routine inspection by one of the council’s environmental officers in July 2016, Charcoal Grill was found to not be adequately pest proofed.

Officials found there was evidence of significant rodent activity – fresh rodent droppings were found underneath and behind equipment, as well as gnaw marks and smearing consistent with the animals.

Food was also found to be stored, in such a manner that could enable it to become contaminated.

Further it was found that the business did not have effective documented food safety procedures in place.

The management closed the premises voluntarily for works to be carried out to pest proof it and to undertake a thorough clean.

The court heard that the premises was re-opened with the agreement of the environmental health officer when these works had been satisfactorily undertaken.

Pleas of guilty were given to court on behalf of Mr Inferadi.

It is understood the Chargrill is now under new management.

The district council’s deputy leader councillor Edward Heron said: “This successful prosecution clearly demonstrates that we will pursue any food business which fails to comply with food safety law and puts the health and safety of the public at risk.”