Birmingham restaurant fined £50,000 over wooden serving boards

Image copyright Birmingham City Council Image caption Ibrahim's Grill and Steak House admitted failing to comply with a hygiene improvement notice

A restaurant has been fined £50,000 by magistrates for serving food on wooden boards.

Birmingham City Council says the wooden plates, used by Ibrahim's Grill and Steak House in Acocks Green, pose a risk of food poisoning.

Inspectors visited the restaurant in October 2016 and had a number of concerns about cleanliness.

And though improvements were made, on a return visit two months later, they found the boards were still in use.

At Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, the restaurant admitted that by continuing to use the wooden plates it had failed to comply with a hygiene improvement notice.

Inspectors were first called to the restaurant on Warwick Road after an alleged food poisoning outbreak that affected a party of 14.

The council said inspectors found a number of issues of concern, including a reliance on the use of disposable gloves rather than hand washing.

Image copyright Birmingham City Council Image caption The restaurant was first visited by the council in October 2016 and on a return visit in December of that year, inspectors found the wooden plates were still in use

It also said the cleaning of the premises was poor and sanitising chemicals were not being used in line with manufacturer instructions.

The council says the boards used to serve the food were "incapable" of being cleaned.

As well as the fine, the restaurant must pay £670 costs and £120 victim surcharge.

Mark Croxford, head of environmental health at the council, said "It is completely unacceptable for businesses to put the health of people eating at their restaurants at risk."

When contacted by the BBC, the restaurant said it did not wish to comment at this stage.