A new owner of a Greek takeaway in Middlesbrough has blasted its two-star hygiene rating as “harsh”.

Supreme Greek on Russell Street will need to make improvements after an inspection on November 29 discovered mouse droppings at the premises. Council officers also found that areas of the takeaway and some pieces of equipment were dirty.

The owner said he has only recently taken over but has since closed off a potential place where pests could scurry into the premises and has rectified the issues raised.

Inspectors from Middlesbrough Council found mouse droppings behind a cupboard in the dessert room and in the electrical cupboard in the food room. They did not find any evidence of any other mouse activity so it’s likely that these are old droppings.

However, council officers suggest this means there was a “serious lapse” in the cleaning procedures at the premises. They also pointed out issues in the dessert room that meant it wasn’t pest-proof.

The inspection report states there was no soap at the washbasin, however, the owner has refuted this. There were a number of areas that were dirty at the time of visit, these included floors and ceilings in the food rooms, plug sockets, and cables, lower surfaces of work units, the washbasin, and containers used to store utensils and cleaning materials.

Inspectors also found dirty equipment, including the inside and outside of the refrigerators and freezers, the surfaces of the cooker, and the surfaces of the food processors and attachments.

One food handler was caught wearing jewelry, while non-food items including personal belongings were found next to food, which could risk contamination. During the visit, plastic containers, chopping boards and a rusty base of a benchtop tin opener were all flagged as being worn or damaged and not able to be adequately cleaned.

Inspectors found that dry ingredients which had been decanted into a separate container did not have any ingredient information which posed a risk to allergy sufferers. Officers also claimed that the business was not able to provide evidence of a gas safety check during the visit, despite the fact that one is required every 12 months.

In response, Supreme Greek’s owner said: “I recently took over the business and regarding mouse droppings that were upstairs, there was an access point from the outside which I had no knowledge of which I have since rectified. I have had pest control in and they gave me an updated report which is fine which I can provide.

“When the inspection was taken the staff were in the process of preparation so the equipment is expected to get dirty and the containers are marked but when cleaned the marking had faded away.

“There was soap at wash basin, I don’t know why in the report it states there wasn’t. I am open to a re-inspection, I do think the star rating is harsh.

“I have rectified certain areas which did need improving like I said I recently took over the business. I’m still learning about everything but we give importance to hygiene and food safety at all times.”