MANY food outlets in Middlesbrough are stars, according to inspectors.

Middlesbrough Council's community protection food safety officials have reviewed the first six months of the Food Hygiene Star Awards for every business in town serving food.

From restaurant to pub or takeaway, each gets a star rating on its hygiene standards when it is inspected.

Judith Hedgley, environmental health manager, said: "Seven out of ten food premises now have three or more stars, compared with 54 per cent when the scheme was launched. There is a general trend in improved hygiene standards."

Five-star premises, judged excellent, have increased two percent of the total to nine percent - 71 in all.

Four-star (very good) premises have increased from 18 per cent to 23 per cent, 175 in total, and three-star (good) premises have increased from 34 per cent to 38 per cent, a total of 283.

The scheme, known as Scores on the Doors, encourages businesses to display their star rating certificates near their entrance so that customers can see how they are performing.

The ratings are also on a Scores on the Doors website.

Councillor Barry Coppinger, executive member for community protection and leisure, said: "This is really good news for the public, the food businesses and for the town. It is really pleasing to see how businesses are improving the standards in their premises, especially where the top-ranking businesses are going that bit further to do more than is expected of them."

To check the star rating of any food business in Middlesbrough, visit www.middlesbrough.gov.

uk/foodhygieneaward or www.

scoresonthedoors.org.uk