Man in court over rodent droppings at takeaway

A man has appeared in court after rodent droppings and gnaw marks were found during an inspection of an Indian takeaway in Bradford.

Parvez Akhtar faces 12 charges relating to the Desi Khana takeaway on Leeds Road after inspectors visited in March last year.

The charges relate to rodent droppings allegedly being found in a freezer storage area and on shelves. There were also "gnaw marks, smear marks and holes to the bottom of the door frame in the rear food preparation area", the court heard.

Akhtar, 56, of Pudsey, failed to attend a hearing at Bradford Magistrates' Court earlier this month and a warrant was issued in his absence. He appeared on Friday but the case was adjourned until 22 May.

At Friday's hearing Akhtar's defence called for an adjournment to enable him to read through the "substantial amount of paperwork" relating to the charges, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Waseem Raja, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said it was unfortunate that the case had to be adjourned but he acknowledged the "voluminous" amount of paperwork the defence team would have to work through.

The case was adjourned until May when Akhtar will enter his pleas.

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