A POPULAR Asian wedding venue has been fined after it was found to be infested with mice.

The Bolton Excellency Centre, its owner Dr Mohanned Jaberansari and company director Taymure Khan, were fined a total of almost £20,000 at Bolton Magistrates Court.

A ‘live infestation’ of mice was found in the restaurant after an inspection by Bolton Council Environmental Officer Christopher Smith, in March, 2015.

Prosecuting, Michelle Brown said: “Mr Smith entered the kitchen and found dropping on shelves, inside cabinets used to store food and crockery on sacks of rice and flour and noticed that several of those bags had been gnawed at.

“Mr Smith also saw and could hear live mice, and young active mice were discovered in a box which indicated that they were breeding and nesting on the premises.”

The court heard that Khan was present at the inspection and when Mr Smith showed him the findings of the inspection he said he “wasn’t aware of the problem and staff hadn’t mentioned anything unusual to him”.

There had also been several inspections prior to March, 2015 and pest control contractors, hired by the business, visited the Carlton Street venue where the presence of mice was identified.

After the March 10, 2015, inspection the Asian cuisine wedding venue was deemed an ‘imminent risk to public health’ and temporarily closed for a period of three days, for the issues to be dealt with.

At a previous court hearing Khan, aged 48, of Smithdown Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to six counts of failing to comply with requirements for food premises.

Jaberansari, of High Bank Lane, pleaded not guilty to the same six counts and claimed that Khan had a kitchen contract and was “running the kitchen separately and taking a share of the profits.”

However, Jaberansari was told that he, as owner of the company “still had overall responsibility of the kitchen” and was found guilty.

Representing Khan, Saira Ali said: “This business effectively began in 2012.

“The area it is in is quite run down and isn’t prosperous, there is no real business interest in it.

“Mr Khan took over this premises, refurbished it and made it successful, however the area around it has remained run down and has attracted infestation. He tried to make the premises as water tight as he possibly could.

“These two men should be commended for rejuvenating Bolton, for creating employment and a venue which is beneficial for them and the local community.

“They have done wrong, they took their eye off the ball.

“But the issues that have been are no longer.”

After the case Mr Jaberansari said: “I believe we have been charged unfairly. We had a problem with mice in March, 2015. This problem was solved in 72 hours and this was confirmed by the environmental officer.

“These charges do not reflect our standards. If we were not safe to serve food why let us reopen?

“We have made an investment in Bolton and given employment to many.”

The court heard that since the case has been made public the venue had had bookings cancelled and their business is down.

Khan was ordered to pay £5,953. Jaberansari on behalf of Bolton Excellency Centre, was ordered to pay £13,386.