Dunstable care home hit with £25,000 fine after food hygiene inspection
Monday, 30 October 2023
A former Dunstable care home has been fined over £25,000 after serious food hygiene issues were discovered during our inspection.
On 11 May 2022, an unannounced food hygiene inspection was conducted at Chiltern View Care Home, located on West Street, Dunstable. Chiltern View, a 30-bed residential care home providing various types of care for elderly residents, was found to have numerous food hygiene contraventions during the inspection.
These included an active mouse infestation in the kitchen, poor food hygiene practices with the discovery of out-of-date food in the fridge, and inadequate cleaning measures for both the kitchen and equipment.
We determined that Benlow's Management Company Ltd failed to establish adequate procedures for pest control, neglected the cleanliness of the premises, and did not implement a food safety management system.
As a result of these findings, the owners of Chiltern View, Benlow's Management Company Ltd, appeared in court in August 2023 and pleaded guilty to 4 offences.
On 20 October 2023, it was fined a total of £25,420, which included costs of £5,230 awarded to us.
Councillor Rebecca Hares, our Executive Member responsible for Health and Community Liaison, said:
The level of the fine imposed by the court reflects the severity of the offences. This serves as a clear message to other businesses that we will not tolerate those who disregard food hygiene regulations. We take food hygiene extremely seriously, and the inspection conducted by our officers revealed significant breaches of standards, including an untreated mouse infestation.
We will not hesitate to take action against any business that fails to meet the required food hygiene standards. It is our goal to ensure that residents and visitors to Central Bedfordshire can have confidence in the safe and hygienic storage and preparation of their food.