A CHEF has been ordered to pay more than £6,500 after admitting 16 food hygiene breaches while operating his former catering company.

Royly Da Silva, 37, of Salisbury Street was the owner of the now closed down Royal Food, which supplied Goan and Indian food to a number of festivals around the country.

He was found to be purchasing meat from a van marked for a pet food company as well as storing meat in conditions described as a disgrace and a risk to the public.

Last year, Swindon Borough Council was successful in bringing an order to have almost half a tonne of meat set to be served at a London festival belonging to Royal Food to be destroyed.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Mr Da Silva accepted all the charges and was told to pay a fine and costs.

Following several complaints last year, environmental health officers spotted him purchasing food from the van in a car park and then putting it uncovered into his car.

The officers were then taken to a garage in Bright Street which belonged to a family member where much of the food was stored and prepared for consumption.

However, it was deemed to not be in a fit state and many of the charges related to the conditions of this structure.

There was nothing to prevent a build-up of dust and other debris, nothing to stop pests entering and no supply of hot or cold water. A clothes line, with items hanging off it, was stretched across the room.

Prosecuting on behalf of the council, Phil Wirth said: “There was a large chest freezer which had a thick build-up of grime, congealed blood and a lot of dead flies around it.

“There was a mixture of cooked food and raw food. There was no evidence where the raw meat had come from as it was without markings or labels.”

Further tests on the products were carried out and some were found to be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Da Silva, Yusuf Solley said: “He appears before the court for the first time in his life. He has worked as a chef for 15 years and his business is now defunct.

“Mr Da Silva was storing food in the garage at his home where he normally stored it but it was being renovated and he allowed it to fall into disarray.

“There is no suggestion he benefitted from this in any way and there was no malicious intent. This was a particularly hard time in his life with a death and illness in the family but he accepts that is not an excuse.”

Handing down the sentence, Chair of the Bench Simon Wolfensohn said: “There was a significant risk to public health.”