The owners of three restaurants have been fined more than £6,000 in total after failing to secure their commercial waste properly.
Nova Parlour (in Ilford Lane), Amigos (in Cranbrook Road), and The Urban Chocolatier London Ltd (also in Cranbrook Road) were the subject of three separate prosecutions by Redbridge Council.
The trio were already on the authority's watchlist after being issued Section 47 legal notices under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990.
This act makes specific requirements as to how commercial waste should be stored.
Redbridge enforcement officers carried out random checks throughout 2022.
They discovered commercial waste bins belonging to the businesses open and overflowing with rubbish, in breach of their legal notice.
At Nova Parlour, the council said an enforcement officer found "multiple, maggot-infested bags of exposed food on the ground as part of the unsecured waste".
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The council's cleansing crew were alerted to the rotting mess and cleared it up.
All three businesses were issued with £110 fixed penalty notices on each occasion they were found breaking the legal order.
The fixed penalty notices remained unpaid by Nova Parlour and The Urban Chocolatier London Ltd, the council said, despite reminder letters.
Amigos paid two of its fixed penalty notices but did not pay a further remaining two.
Nova Parlour
Restaurant owner and company director Shebaz Javed, 27, attended Barkingside Magistrates' Court on February 14.
He pleaded guilty to all five counts of breaching the EPA notice.
Javed was ordered to pay a total of £2,135.46 - £650 in fines, £1,135 in court and council costs and £350.46 in compensation to the council for clear-up costs.
Amigos
Restaurant owner and company director Amid Begum, 68, was summonsed to court for two breaches of the EPA notice.
Begum failed to attend court on February 14 and the case proved in absence, the council said.
Begum was ordered to pay £1,960 - £1,000 in fines and £960 in court and council costs.
The Urban Chocolatier London Ltd
The company was summoned to Barkingside Magistrates Court, charged with three counts of breaching the EPA notice.
The case was heard in the company’s absence and all charges were proved.
The company was ordered to pay £2,259 - £1,000 in fines, £375 in council costs, £484 in court costs and a victims surcharge of £400.
Cllr Jo Blackman, cabinet member for environment and civic pride, said: "We all have a duty to keep our borough clean and tidy, and this includes businesses.
"The failure to correctly store commercial waste presents a threat to the environment and public health, as well as being an eyesore.
"The majority of our local businesses act responsibly and store their commercial waste properly.
"For any who aren’t doing this, these prosecutions should serve as a strong warning that Redbridge Council will continue taking tough action against those businesses who refuse to act responsibly and legally when disposing of their waste."
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