Trafford Council took a takeaway owner to court after five £100 penalty notices about rubbish spilling out of bins went ignored and unpaid.
Mr Amar Ashraf Abdulaki, owner of the Genie takeaway on Seymour Grove, Old Trafford, was fined £700 by Manchester Magistrates in his absence, for failure to comply with the requirements of the notices. He was also ordered to pay a £280 victim surcharge and £496.10 costs.
Action from the Council’s environmental improvement team followed reports from local people about accumulations of waste attracting rats around Seymour Grove and Elsinore Road.
Genie, which serves chicken, pizzas, kebabs and shakes, was found to be one of several local businesses not storing waste properly.
In June last year a number of premises were served notices, calling for waste to be stored properly in future, in the right bins, with level, locked lids.
Officers made several trips back to see whether the situation had improved. On five separate occasions, officers witnessed the bins belonging to Genie were overflowing and allowing waste to escape, causing issues in the local area.
A total of five £100 fixed penalty notices were served on the business owner for failing to adhere to the requirements of the original notice. All remained unpaid.
Mr Abdulaki was summoned to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court on Friday 21 August. He failed to appear at court and was tried and found guilty in his absence.
Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Environmental Services said:
“Our officers work hard to make sure the streets of Trafford are clean and clear of waste and vermin.
“In this case, the takeaway owner Mr Abdulaki was given five chances to pay fixed penalty notices, bring his bins under control and avoid any further action. He did not comply with our requirements and found himself with a court prosecution.
“The Council expects local businesses to meet high standards of cleanliness and hygiene and will not tolerate those who do not meet their responsibilities to their customers and the local community, in keeping their premises tidy.”