The food safety team has revealed some of the worst hygiene breaches witnessed by inspectors this summer - and these included cockroaches, mice and out-of-date food.

Four food outlets in Leyton and Leytonstone were temporarily shut in August after inspectors found multiple health risks. And one had such long-standing issues that the owner was prosecuted and told to pay thousands of pounds.

Waltham Forest Council, the local authority responsible for food safety, said it hopes its enforcement actions send a clear message to food businesses.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for the environment, said: “There can be no excuses for letting a commercial kitchen or food business get so dirty, so pest-infested, or so unhygienic that the health of customers - local residents and visitors to Waltham Forest - is put at risk."

Here is a list of some of the restaurants and food shops that were found with poor hygiene in August:

BBQ Xpress

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BBQ Xpress at 826 High Road, Leyton. Photo: Google Street View

A mice and cockroach infestation was found in the kitchen of the takeaway shop at 826 High Road, Leyton when council inspectors visited on August 20.

Sacks of rice in the storeroom had been gnawed by the rodents and some were even covered in droppings, the council said. And as inspectors lifted a sack to look closer, a live mouse ran out from behind.

There were also cockroaches in the toilet, inspectors confirmed.

The takeaway was closed and a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order was confirmed by Highbury Magistrates' Court on August 28.

The owner Mukhtar Ahmed was ordered to pay costs of £864 to the council.

Oasis Mini Market

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Oasis Mini Market, 358 High Road, Leyton. Photo: Google Street View

The grocers at 358 High Road, Leyton was closed by inspectors after a large amount of out-of-date food and a mice infestation was found at the premises on August 8.

Packets of gnawed food were also found in the store.

According to Waltham Forest Council, the owner had attempted to craft a homemade bait-box and created what inspectors described as a "mouse hotel" using several cardboard boxes.

Inspectors served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice closing the retailer, and Thames Magistrates’ Court confirmed the closure and granted a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order.

The store was ordered to pay £956 to the council. It has since made the improvements required to be allowed to reopen.

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Pictures of the "mouse hotel" at Oasis Mini Market. Photo: Waltham Forest Council

Wood & Flames

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Wood and Flames, 371 High Road, Leyton. Photo: Google Street View

"Large numbers of cockroaches" were found in the "filthy kitchen" of the pizza takeaway at 371 High Road, Leyton on August 15, the council said.

A kitchen drain was also reported to be blocked by rotten food debris.

The restaurant was immediately shut and a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order was granted at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court. It was ordered to pay £806 in costs to the council.

Wood & Flames has since been allowed to reopen after improving the conditions.

Zeeshan Ali who runs the restaurant claimed the findings of the team were exaggerated.

He said: “I don’t really understand why they have to exaggerate so much, we are a clean restaurant. Yes, they have found some cockroaches and that was due to the wood counter not because we have a filthy kitchen.

“We did react on the pest issue straightaway and got rid of the counter which was the main cause of the cockroaches, and we were ready to open after the issue was resolved."

Kebabish Original

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Kebabish Original, 755 High Road, Leytonstone. Photo: Google Street View

Mice and poor hygiene was also found at Kebabish Original, 755 High Road, Leytonstone.

Inspectors closed the takeaway after a visit in August.

Thames Magistrates’ granted a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order on August 28 and awarded costs of £806 to the council.

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A dead mouse and litter behind the freezer in the Kebabish Original kitchen. Photo: Waltham Forest Council

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A filthy cleaning cloth that appears to have been knawed by mice at Kebabish Original. Photo: Waltham Forest Council

High Road Kebabish

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High Road Kebabish in June 2015. Photo: Google Street View

This kebab shop (unaffiliated with Kebabish Original) which used to be in High Road, Leyton had such a poor history of food hygiene that the council decided to prosecute the business.

Abrhar Khan, director of E10 High Road Kebabish Ltd which has since dissolved, was ordered to pay more than £4,000 - he was fined £800, plus costs of £3,183 and a victim surcharge of £80 on August 22.

Inspectors gave his takeaway shop a zero food hygiene rating after finding poor standards of cleanliness during a visit in November 2018. But the owner failed to comply with improvement notices.

Follow up visits in January and March this year found that the hygiene practices and cleaning standards were still very low, so the council decided to to prosecute.

The Guardian has tried to contact all food venues mentioned in this story multiple times.