DETAIL has emerged of the latest inspection at a fish and chip shop fined £4,000 for food hygiene offences.

Fat Harry's, on High Street, Sandown, has managed to turn around its hygiene rating — from a one to a three-star — despite some of the inspector's findings.

Flies flew out of a potato peeling machine when the lid was removed, and there was a strong smell of urine — possibly cat — where the potatoes were stored.

The Isle of Wight Council took Fat Harry's to court in January following breaches found in a December 2018 inspection.

Twelve days before the court date however, environmental officers from the council visited the takeaway and noted a number of improvements needed to be made to achieve compliance with the minimum legal requirements.

One of the metal grids, which cooked sausages were in contact with, had a build up of hardened grease. In another holding cabinet a wire basket was damaged, with missing or broken wires — which was subsequently thrown in the bin during the inspection.

A potato rumbler, which quickly peels potatoes, had a build up of food debris inside the rim and around the hatch edge while the chute had dirt around the opening.

Workers at Fat Harry's said the rumbler was cleaned daily but the inspector noted the condition was not consistent with daily cleaning — when the lid was removed at least two flies 'that looked like mosquitos' flew out.

The rumbler was also not connected to the drains, due to an ongoing investigation into a drainage problem. A plunger had been used to remove a pile of dirt and residue from a drain behind the potato trough.

A shed at the back of the shop was used as the storage area for the potatoes where inspectors said there was a very strong smell of urine, 'possibly cat urine' and strongly recommended the shed not be used for food storage.

In the preparation room a tap had come loose, which had an old section of garden hose attached at the end with a rusty metal ring. Inspectors said a general smell of damp and mould was present.

Two months was given to fix a leak in the ceiling above the walk-in chillers. A tray had been placed underneath to catch the leak.

In the back yard, there was a number of waste items including open waste bins which had rubbish and stagnant water inside.

A bin outside the back gate was very dirty, with liquid and rotten food on the base, which smelt bad when the lid was removed.

Despite previously discussing the issue with staff, Acrylamide mitigation was not being done as potatoes were being stored in the shed which exposed them to temperatures above 6°C.

Acrylamide is a naturally forming chemical which, according to the European Food Safety Authority, can increase the risk of developing cancer. By law, businesses are required to ensure levels are as low as reasonably practicable.

Following the inspection, the business was rated three stars.

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