A SWINDON restaurant has been shut down after inspectors found a cockroach infestation described by one council officer as the worst she has seen in a decade.

Officers from Swindon Borough Council were met with the shocking infestation when they inspected Baban Restaurant and Takeaway on April 21.

They had initially been called to reports of a rat infestation, and whilst they found no rats, there was hundreds of oriental cockroaches “in various stages of being alive, dying or dead”.

Council prosecutor Daryl Bigwood told Swindon Magistrates’ Court that the pests were found inside a sack of lentils, on top of a frozen bag of minced meat, in a frozen refrigeration unit, on a tray used to store utensils, under a sink used for handwashing and on chairs in the eating area.

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Environmental Health brought to court dozens of cockroaches in a sealed evidence bag that were found at the restaurant, as well as takeaway containers they were found in.

Mr Bigwood told magistrates that Jamal Mahjed, owner of the Manchester Road restaurant, knew about the infestation and “also admitted he had no control policy in place or any company appointed to deal with it”.

The borough council shut the restaurant down with a prohibition notice served after their lunchtime inspection, but applied to the court today (April 28) for an ongoing hygiene emergency prohibition order.

It allows the council to keep the restaurant shut until they are satisfied that the situation has been resolved.

Mr Bigwood continued: “The general hygiene standards were poor, there was food on the floor and under the equipment.

“There was accumulation of debris at the point the walls meet the floor, the walls were greasy, there was no soap at the hand washing basin, and there was raw meat defrosting in the sink, next to seemingly dirty plates.”

He said cockroaches can spread diseases include dysentery, gastroenteritis and cholera.

“Cockroaches are nocturnal so to find living cockroaches out and about in the day shows a very active and out of control infestation.

“Mrs Clinton who is an environmental control officer of over 10 years described this as the worst infestation in a premises that is open and trading.”

Mr Bigwood went on to say that they had been working with Mr Mahjed, who had arranged for a pest controller to visit, but this had been delayed and was not going to happen until Thursday afternoon at the earliest.

Chairman of the bench, Simon Wolfensohn, said: “We feel that the initial order was justified and correct, and there is clearly a need for the order to continue until action has been taken to correct the problem.”

The council will now lift the order when the issues have been addressed.

Mr Mahjed must pay £2,053 towards the council’s court and investigation costs.

On the Food Standards Agency website, Baban Restaurant & Takeaway is “awaiting inspection” and does not have a current food hygiene rating.