The Authentic African Food Store on Kings Road, North Ormesby, has been ordered shut after environmental health officers discovered widespread contamination and pest activity during an inspection earlier this month.
Middlesbrough Council applied for — and were granted — a hygiene emergency prohibition order at Teesside Magistrates’ Court after officers who attended the premises on 9 July reported what they described as an immediate risk to public health.
What inspectors found
- Rat droppings on floors, plastic packaging, bread crates, sacks of dried ingredients and shelves storing fruit and vegetables.
- Dead flies around an electric fly killer and in food preparation areas.
- Dead cockroaches, cockroach faeces and live cockroaches observed in the butchery section.
- Mouldy fruit and vegetables and other signs of food degradation.
Prosecuting the council, Thomas Durance told the court that officers were immediately concerned by the state of the premises when they attended. The magistrates accepted the council’s evidence and authorised the immediate closure of the shop by attaching the prohibition notice to the shutters.
“Nothing short of a disgrace,”
The court also awarded £1,200 in costs to Middlesbrough Council. Chairing the bench, Peter Charlton said the magistrates were satisfied the emergency order was necessary because of the imminent risk to health.
Local impact and practical implications
The order prevents the premises from operating as a food business until the council is satisfied remedial action has removed the risks identified. Emergency prohibition notices are used only when inspectors consider there is an imminent threat to health and mean the business must remain closed while further investigations and corrective work take place.
The shop’s retail manager, identified in court as Seyanu, was present during the visit, the court was told. The magistrates’ notice attached to the premises cited widespread evidence of rat activity including urine and gnawed packaging, alongside cockroach infestation and decayed produce.
| Date | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 9 July | Authentic African Food Store, Kings Road, North Ormesby | Hygiene emergency prohibition order issued; premises closed |
| Court hearing | Teesside Magistrates’ Court | Court approved closure; costs of £1,200 awarded to council |
Residents who rely on community grocers are often left with limited alternatives when a shop is closed, and there can be knock-on effects for local suppliers and market access. The council’s action is aimed at protecting consumers but also signals to other operators the standards expected of food businesses in Middlesbrough.
Anyone with concerns about food hygiene at local businesses can report them to Middlesbrough Council’s environmental health team. Complaints trigger inspections that may lead to advisory action, improvement notices or, in serious cases such as this, emergency prohibition orders and prosecution.
This case will be monitored by the council, and the shop will only be permitted to reopen once investigators are satisfied that the premises have been thoroughly cleaned, pests eradicated and adequate food safety management systems put in place.
