Waiter! There's a fly in my curry

A DEAD fly found floating in a container of curry by a health inspector made a miracle recovery, a court has been told. The Cambridge Evening News reported that the fly was missing when the inspector had a second look and a member of the kitchen staff at the local Tandoori in St Neots told her: "It must have got better and flown away".

The owner of the tandoori restaurant was fined £2,100 and ordered to pay £1,976 costs after he admitted three food hygiene offences involving cleanliness at the takeaway.

Magistrates at Huntingdon heard that an inspector from Huntingdonshire District Council visited the premises after Anglian Water gave a warning that they had cut the water off, meaning staff could not wash their hands or kitchen equipment.

Magistrates told the owner that food hygiene offences were treated seriously and that the lack of cleanliness must have exceeded the period the takeaway was without water.

"Most worryingly we have seen lots of photographs with nooks and crannies which would have been a breeding ground for germs," they said.

Prosecutors for the council told the court that the inspector spotted the dead fly in a container of chicken tandoori. There was also a blood stained sink where lamb had been defrosted.

"When she returned she noticed that the fly was missing from the container and the blood had been washed away".

The inspector found the water was disconnected and that staff said they had been going to the restaurant next door to wash their hands. There were a large number of flies in the building. Previously prepared food was being kept in the open and cooked and raw ingredients were being stored together.

Source: Cambridge evening news