SUPERMARKET chain Safeway was fined £6,500 yesterday for selling out-of-date food at three of its stores.

The company was also ordered to pay £1,976 costs by magistrates after admitting eight specimen charges under the 1996 Food Regulations Act.

Stockton Borough Council's trading standards department brought the prosecution after Safeway stores in Ingleby Barwick, Bishopton Road West, Stockton, and High Street, in Yarm, had been routinely inspected.

Officers found 22 items of food on display past the use-by date, which included bacon, orange juice, doughnuts, fruitcake and caramel deserts.

Teesside Magistrates' Court was told that trading standards officials also found foods whose use-by dates were either unreadable or non-existent.

David Kitching, Stockton Council's trading standards and licensing manager, said: "The use-by date is put on to foods to inform people of the date the food should be eaten by.

"It is only put on foods which are likely to deteriorate very quickly, posing a potential threat of food poisoning and, as such, should never be sold after the date has expired.''

Martyn Ingram, Stockton Council's cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: "I hope the fines imposed will demonstrate to retailers that they too must take this matter seriously.''

A Safeway spokeswoman said the supermarket did have a system for checking that foods were removed before the end of the use-by date but it was complicated and had led to mistakes by staff members.

She said: "Since it has come to light, a rigorous review of all related procedures has taken place, as well as staff training, to prevent it happening again.''

The spokeswoman added that Safeway would shortly be adopting the Morrisons' checking system.

Earlier this year Bradford-based Morrisons paid £3bn to buy the 479-strong chain of Safeway stores and create the fourth largest UK food retailer