Cockroaches, mice, rodents’ droppings, staff smoking in the restaurant and poor structural conditions were among the list of violations found by inspectors as restaurant operators were slapped with a bill for more than £80,000.

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Visits to Babylon Inn, North End between July 2013 and April 2014 uncovered a string of offences considered to pose "risk of significant harm" to customers.

Despite repeated warnings to clean up its act, the buffet restaurant was eventually closed and criminal charges brought after a evidence was handed over by Croydon Council's food safety team.

Director Dr Mardan Mahmood, who had previously pleaded guilty to 19 food safety charges, was fined a total of £30,097 at Camberwell Magistrates Court yesterday.

His ex-wife, Hend Hamude, who managed the restaurant, was fined a total of £17,697 after pleading not guilty by claiming she was not a "food business operator".

Parent company Babylon Inn Limited was also ordered to pay £35,097, including costs.

After the sentence was passed a tearful Hamude shouted across the courtroom, protesting her innocence.

District Judge Tony Stone said: "What is obvious is that from the time Hend Hamude and Dr Mahmood operated the business, it consistently fell far short of being a business that provided food to customers without a risk of significant harm.

"Thankfully, no harm was caused to anybody, but the potential for harm was there.

During visits to the restaurant inspectors uncovered:

  • an ongoing infestation of rodents, with mouse and rat droppings and chewed packaging found in the kitchen and food storage areas - evidence of German cockroaches found by inspectors in a food storage room
  • inadequate standards of cleaning in the kitchen, preparation area, storage rooms and basement poor food-handling practices employed by staff
  • structural disrepair in the kitchen, preparation area, storage rooms and basement health and safety hazards, including electrical safety issues
  • an incomplete food safety management system

Before yesterday's sentencing, the court heard a report from Mahmood's probation officer, Patrick Acres.

He said the problems at the restaurant had worsened after Mahmood, who runs a private surgery in Croydon, had taken over day-to-day running of Babylon Inn after Hamude left the business.

He said: "During the period the relationship with his wife was breaking down, and it appeared to me that he had taken on too much...he seemed incredibly naive about pest control matters.

"He shouldn't have got into that business to begin with...He has no intention of going into something like that again."

The sentence also bans Mahmood from operating a food business.

District Judge Stone criticised Mahmood, who runs a private doctor's surgery in Croydon, for his "cavalier judgement" when dealing with pest control, and for trying to use unsuitable methods "because of his knowledge of chemicals and work as a physician."

These chemicals, the judge said, had often made the situation worse, and presented further risk of harm to staff and customers.