A CURRY house is in the running to be named best in Britain a fortnight after being fined £6,000 on health and safety charges.

Haweli owner Khalique Miah says a place in the finals of the Bangladeshi British Curry Awards shows the true quality of the restaurant.

At the beginning of the month, Mr Miah, 38, was fined £6,000 by Swindon magistrates.

Health and safety inspectors had found dirt in the kitchen and dust in the storeroom of the multi-award winning Victoria Road restaurant.

Mr Miah blamed building work being carried out at the time of the inspection, and produced evidence that the kitchen and storeroom had since been made spotless.

He said of the latest award nomination: "We are very pleased about that. On Wednesday we are going to the final."

The final of the national competition will be held at the Bengal Blues Restaurant in Ilford, Essex.

The Bangladeshi British Curry Awards is a national competition, and the Haweli, whose head chef is co-owner Alkas Miah, was selected as one of 10 finalists from 800 entries. Judges visited the restaurants to sample their menus.

The restaurant, which specialises in Bangladeshi cuisine, was shortlisted for the same award in 1998, and again last year.

Last year saw the Haweli take fourth place and during the competition Alkas Miah was chosen by Channel 4's The Big Breakfast as its favourite chef.

This year's competition was launched at the Palace of Westminster in March, in a ceremony attended by VIPs including curry lover and former Conservative leader William Hague and the Bangladeshi Economic Minister.

At the final in Ilford, the chefs will be given a set time to prepare their best dishes, which will then be judged.

This year's judges include people from the industry, along with journalists and a radio presenter.