Environmental health officers shut down a karaoke bar and restaurant in Birmingham City Centre

A popular karaoke bar and restaurant has been ordered to temporarily closed following complaints from customers.

Environmental health officers visited Pad Thai Restaurant and Karaoke Bar on Holloway Head in Birmingham city centre in response to concerns.

During their visit inspectors discovered mouse droppings around the premises – including on spice and noodle packages. Birmingham Magistrates’ Court served a hygiene emergency prohibition notice on Monday (February 6) on operators of the business.

It means the restaurant has been told to close and will not be allowed to serve customers or perform any food business activity until environmental health officers are “satisfied” sufficient measures have been taken to eliminate health risks or injury.

Birmingham City Council may also consider a formal investigation while the hygiene emergency prohibition notice is in place, including potential prosecution.

The court said the restaurant posed “an imminent risk of injury to health because there is rodent activity, ineffective cleaning, inadequate pest proofing and food and packaging exposed to a risk of contamination”. It is an offence to breach the notice. Representatives of B1 Pad Thai Limited did not appear in court.

The court heard how mouse droppings were found throughout the premises including in staff toilets, kitchen corridors, and on spice and noodle packages inside boxes in a food preparation room.

Alison Wheelan, an environmental health officer, first visited the restaurant on February 2 after the city council received a complaint from a party of 12 who dined at the restaurant.

Ms Wheelan gave evidence to the court and said the complaint was “deemed serious enough” to warrant an inspection of the premises.

The court was shown 23 photographs of mouse droppings found at different parts of the restaurant. Some faeces was found “stuck to the wall” where mice were travelling up and down electrical cabling. She also described trays that go into a pot wash as “littered” with mouse droppings.

Ms Wheelan told the court when she arrived three managers had greeted her, but the director of the restaurant was not present. “I attempted to ring directly, but no response. Even the managers who were on shift tried to ring him but no response. I’ve emailed him, and it’s possible he might be abroad at the moment,” she said.

Ms Wheelan visited the restaurant again on the day of the court hearing. While “pest control had visited”, she said there was still evidence of mouse droppings and dirt on the premises.

Presiding Justice, Deborah Chapman, said the restaurant posed a “significant damage to health”.