CURRY house Haweli is to pay an £8,000 penalty after health and safety inspectors found its kitchen and storeroom caked in grime.

Inspectors who visited the Old Town restaurant in February found dust and dirt in the kitchen and storeroom, which was being revamped by a builder, Swindon magistrates heard.

And even though work was being carried out in the daytime the restaurant was still open for business at night, magistrates were told.

Boss Khalique Miah, 38, admitted breaching food hygiene and health and safety regulations. He pleaded guilty to:

failing to ensure poppadums, onion bhajis, spices, ice cream, eggs and tomatoes were stored hygienically

failing to ensure the premises was kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition

failing to ensure all articles, fittings and equipment with which food came into contact were kept clean and minimised risk of food contamination.

Fining him a £6,000 and ordering he pay £2,768.96 costs, chairman of the bench Patricia Da Silva told Miah: "There is a clear culpability on the part of food establishments providing food for consumption that there should be a proper cleaning regime and proper control on the way food is stored and prepared.

"There is a high duty on the part of food providers to ensure the public have absolute confidence that food consumed in restaurants should be of the highest standard."

After the hearing, Miah, 38, who has run the Victoria Road-based business with his nephew since the end of 1999, said: "All the problems have been resolved and there are absolutely no breaches of hygiene and health and safety now. Vast improvements have been made to the kitchen and storeroom .

"It was a case of the inspector coming at the wrong time. We have been the number one restaurant for the last few years and we intend to continue to be."

Prosecuting on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, Phillip Wirth said environmental health inspector Clive Browning found:

15 bags of builders' rubble in the restaurant storeroom

the storeroom covered in a fine layer of dust

a proper cleaning regime could not be carried out

a chest freezer with a damaged lid and dirty seals

two preparation sinks in the kitchen "extremely dirty and stained, and covered in lime scale"

a plate rack above the sink "covered in food debris and grime"

Defending, Jetta Doig told the court: "Mr Miah has had experience in the catering business since 1984 and has had no problems before. The building work had been planned a good six months before the February visit and the inspection happened at the wrong time, when the builder was working.

"The building work started two weeks before the visit and the restaurant wasn't open at the time. They had been open in the evenings just to keep the business going."

Mr Wirth added that a recent, impromptu inspection of the premises found it to be satisfactory.