A FORMER landlord has been fined £330 plus costs after one of his diners found a piece of glass in her dessert.

Peter Collins, the former landlord of the Crown Inn in Broad Hinton, pleaded guilty to selling food that was not of the quality demanded when he appeared before Kennet magistrates last Thursday.

He told magistrates in Devizes that he accepted responsiblity even though the offence occurred because of the neglect of his kitchen and waiting staff.

Martin Evans, prosecuting on behalf of Kennet District Council's environmental health department, said that on the evening of October 9 a woman diner at the pub bit on what she thought was a piece of crystallised fruit but found that it was a piece of glass about a quarter of a centimetre square.

She brought it to the attention of the staff and also complained to Kennet's environmental health department.

The following day a health inspector visited the pub and found broken glass on the trolley from where the desserts were served.

A member of staff was interviewed and said that three days before the incident, a waitress had accidentally dropped a knife into a glass jug, breaking it.

Mr Collins told the court that he had given notice of quitting as the tenant of the pub in September. He had got out because he was losing money, having spent £17,500 on renovations at the pub.

Presiding magistrate Richard Giles told Mr Collins that if he was still in business, he could have expected a fine of up to £3,000. But in view of his financial position, the court was imposing a fine of £500, reduced to £330 in view of his early guilty plea. Mr Collins was also ordered to pay £70 costs.

The Crown Inn is now under new management.