A takeaway has been served up fines of almost £10,000, after inspectors visited its filthy, mouse-infested kitchen.

Euro Chicken and Pizza, in High Road, Leytonstone, was inspected by Waltham Forest council food safety officers in January following a complaint from a resident.

They found a number of serious breaches, which resulted in the business being given a hygiene rating of zero.

The premises was found to be extremely dirty, with mouse droppings, dirt and grease discovered throughout.

Mouse dropping were also found in other areas including the breading table where chicken was being coated in flour prior to frying.

The floor of the cold store was covered in dirty, wet cardboard, and food containers which were used to store cut salads were encrusted with old food deposits.

Food preparation surfaces were covered with old food deposits and greasy cardboard.

The shop was found to be in a generally poor state of repair, with damaged plaster due to a leaking roof and paint flaking off the wall.

The case was heard at Thames Magistrates Court on Friday July 1, where the company director, Shahid Hussain, pleaded guilty to eight offences both personally and on behalf of his firm.

He was personally fined £1,500 plus a £120 victim surcharge. The company was fined £6,000, and ordered to pay costs of £1,526 and a £120 victim surcharge.

This brought the total financial penalty to £9,266.

Waltham Forest council deputy leader, Cllr Clyde Loakes, said: “Businesses that put the safety of our residents at risk due to poor hygiene conditions have no place in Waltham Forest.

“It is surely not too much to ask for these premises to have simple hygiene procedures in place, especially in areas where food is being prepared.

“If we have to go through the courts to punish these places that is exactly what we will do.

“In this case both the company and the director have been fined, which shows how serious the Magistrates considered these offences to be.”