A PUB owner has admitted nine food hygiene breaches after 25 customers were struck down with gastroenteritis.

The Sutton Arms was inspected after several families, who dined at the pub in Elton, near Stockton, were struck down with the illness on Easter Sunday last year.

Environmental health inspectors discovered out-of-date food, dirty and broken cooking equipment as well as raw meats stored next to cooked products in the kitchens.

Owner Michael Alan Flegg pleaded guilty to the nine breaches of Food Hygiene Regulations on Tuesday when he appeared before Teesside Magistrates Court.

The court heard how the 69-year-old, who lives on the premises, was give five warning notices in 2010 for similar offences. The premises was also given a food hygiene rating of zero as a result of the inspection.

Michelle Stowe, prosecuting on behalf of Stockton Borough Council, told magistrates that when inspectors checked the premises three days after people reported feeling seriously ill, they discovered three pieces of braising steak which were sticky, smelling and decomposing.

The inspection also discovered filthy working conditions, broken equipment, a pest infestation in a storage facility, poor maintenance records and selling food contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms which the harmful bacteria that caused the gastroenteritis outbreak, she said.

All the charges related to April 20 when the pub’s customers fell ill and April 23 when the first inspection was carried out following the complaints.

Ms Stowe said: “When the environmental health officers inspected the premises it was discovered that there was a number of issues. There was the failure to keep the clean and in a good state of repair, there was a rodent infestation and raw food was prepared next to cooked food.”

She added there appeared to be a flippant attitude to the serious issues concerning the risk to the public.

“It took a long time to turn things around, over ten weeks there were 14 visits to the premises and kitchen to inspect whether things were improving,” she said.

“Mr Flegg was also given five previous cautions for similar offences in December 2010.”

Mr Flegg, who spoke only to confirm his name, address and guilty pleas, was released on unconditional bail to appear before Teesside Crown Court for sentencing at a date yet to be fixed.