THE owner of a pizza takeaway has been ordered to pay almost £2,000 after failing to keep it clean, protect foods from risk of contamination risk and manage waste.

Environmental Health Officers visited Luciano’s Pizzeria in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, several times between 2012 and 2014 to carry out hygiene checks.

After each visit, owner Akib Ahmed was given a report detailing various contraventions of food hygiene regulations, including poor standards of cleanliness, disrepair to the premises and poor food safety management.

Middlesbrough Council warned him that failing to improve standards could result in legal action.

However, after issuing him with a final warning, officers again visited on April 24 last year and still found poor standards of cleanliness, worn, damaged and unclean food equipment, inadequate food safety procedures and unsatisfactory provisions for personal hygiene.

Ahmed was charged with failing to keep his pizzeria clean, failing to keep food equipment clean and disinfected and failing to protect foods from risk of contamination.

The council's enviro crimes unit also investigated waste from Luciano’s being dumped in a nearby alley and he was further charged with failing to supply copies of waste transfer notes to show where his business waste was being deposed of.

Appearing before Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Ahmed pleaded guilty to all charges and was fined £1,160 plus £720 costs and a £29 victim surcharge.

Middlesbrough Council's environmental health manager Judith Hedgley said: “Mr Ahmed was given every opportunity to improve the food safety and the standards of hygiene in his premises.

“Despite receiving several warnings, he still failed to achieve the required standards.

“He did not maintain good standards of cleanliness and he failed to protect the foods he served from potential risks of contamination."