A DARLINGTON takeaway owner admitted her employees used a toilet as a staff office after an inspection that uncovered 33 food hygiene hazards within one kitchen.

Jie Zhao, 40, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with food and hygiene regulations following the examination of the Little Fat Buddha, on West Auckland Road, which found that the kitchen was dirty and could pose a health risk to customers.

The takeaway dropped to a level one food hygiene rating after the visit in February.

Darlington Magistrates heard yesterday (June 13) that Zhao, director of Yates Zhao Ltd, was fined £1,400 for hygiene offences five years ago. But after making improvements at the premises, standards had slipped again.

Yvonne Wood, prosecuting for Darlington Borough Council, said: “Health officer, Brian Whelan, carried out a food hygiene inspection on February 2 this year.

“Mr Whelan carried out a food safety inspection and in particular he noticed the premises and equipment were not kept clean as required.

“The staff had poor awareness of food hygiene and in some cases, they had not been trained at all.”

Inspectors found that food been kept warm in the kitchen for up to five hours before serving and that dirty and damaged cooking equipment was being used.

Ms Wood added: “The defendant said she only visits the shop to make a delivery and the last time she had been inspected, the toilet was being used as staff office and there was also a computer in there.

“The defendant fell far short of the appropriate standard.”

Zhao spoke only to confirm her personal details during the hearing at Darlington Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon.

Alan Devine, mitigating, said: “At the time, Mrs Zhao was heavily pregnant she turned up on February 3 and saw Mr Whelan and tried to straighten out what had happened.

“For a number of months, she had been unable to visit the property as much as she would have liked.

“There was a manager employed there to oversee things but steps have been taken about this and he’s no longer the manager, but he’s working in the premises.”

The takeaway that serves a range of Asian dishes has been at the Cockerton site for around five years.

Chairman of the bench, Dr Peter Minto, addressed Zhao after ordering her to pay £8,607 in fines and costs.

Dr Minto said: “Bear in mind that I say this to be crystal clear – if you ever fall below the standards again and you come back to court, I think you very well know the outcome of that.

“The fine might seem high, but it reflects the fact that we’re not closing the business.”