WALTHAMSTOW: Man runs off after being caught with dirty meat in shopping trolley (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Man runs off after being caught with dirty meat in shopping trolley

4:46pm Monday 9th November 2009 in Your Local Areas By Carl Brown

A QUARTER of a tonne of dirty meat destined for Waltham Forest kebab shops was seized by inspectors after they spotted a man loading it into a shopping trolley.

A senior council environment health officer and a veterinary advisor from the Food Standards Agency were walking in Sutherland Road, Walthamstow, when they spotted a man unloading filthy meat out of the boot of his car.

Closer inspection revealed the meat consisted of lamb fat, old and broken pitta breads and floor sweepings.

The man said he was from an Edmonton kebab shop and the meat was for local takeaways before running off.

Cllr Afzal Akram, the council's cabinet member for community safety, said: “This shows a callous disregard for the health and well-being of residents and I am appalled that some traders think it is appropriate to make kebabs out of poor quality meat, mixed with the sweepings of their floor and old pitta bread.

"I am just relieved that our environmental health officer was able to recognise the potential risk and take swift action to minimise the danger to residents."

The council also closed a cockroach-infested restaurant in Leytonstone last Thursday.

Inspectors found cockroaches crawling all over the floor and work surfaces at Ghanian restaurant Garden City in High Road.

Pip Broad, senior environmental health officer, said: “It was one of the worst cockroach infestations I have ever seen.

“I could hear them scurrying round my feet as I was inspecting the restaurant."

Magistrates today ratified the closure and ordered the restaurant's owners to pay £946 in costs.

The restaurant will remain closed until hygiene standards have improved.

To see video footage of the cockroaches click here

If anyone has any information about potentially unsafe meat they should contact the Council's Food Safety Team on 020 8496 3000

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