A CLEANING company's cancelled visit proved costly for a publican, a court heard yesterday.

On the day a contract cleaning company was scheduled to visit the Castleside Inn, at Moorside, near Consett, County Durham, the environmental health department from Derwentside District Council paid a visit.

Durham magistrates heard that environmental health officer Sue Blenkinsop found a number of breaches of food hygiene regulations during the routine inspection, on January 14.

It led to licensee Noel Reid, who had been tenant for seven years, coming before the court on three charges of contravening food safety regulations.

John Flynn, prosecuting for the council, said areas of neglect were discovered during the inspection of the kitchen.

He told the court one of the charges related to mayonnaise, which should have been stored in the fridge when not in use.

Another related to cooked and uncooked meats being stored alongside each other in the fridge.

The other charge related to a failure to have a proper cleaning regime for the kitchens.

Mr Flynn said that since the visit, the pub had complied with improvement notices which were issued.

The court heard that on the day the officer visited, a cleaning company was booked to carry out a thorough clean, but cancelled and re-arranged the visit for two days later.

Photographs were shown to the magistrates highlighting the improvement in cleanliness since the visit.

Reid, who admitted the charges, was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £809 costs to the council.