A New Forest restaurant owner has been fined £3,500 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs after cockroaches were found in his kitchen.

Abdul Noor pleaded guilty at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to three food hygiene offences at his restaurant Forest King, in Blackfield. 

The court was told that during an unannounced food hygiene inspection on November 8, New Forest District Council environmental health officers found grease and food deposits on walls, floors and ceilings in the kitchen of the Forest King. 

Equipment and food containers were found with covered in grease and dirt deposits.

On 12 November 2012, environmental health officers made another visit and found live cockroaches under equipment and behind fridges.

The owner, Mr Noor, agreed to voluntarily close the restaurant until a pest control contractor was brought in to control the cockroaches.

The restaurant reopened for business on November 14 after the kitchen had been cleaned.

Councillor Edward Heron, New Forest District Council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “It presents a real risk to the health of customers when food business owners allow pests into their kitchen.

"I am pleased environmental health officers found this at an early stage and were able to achieve the necessary improvement in standards.”