by Adam Williams

An award-winning curry house owner has been ordered to pay more than £8,000.

Mohammed Rahul Alam, manager of Kashmir Tandoori, admitted six charges of failing to maintain food hygiene standards at the popular Palace Street restaurant following an inspection in February last year.

Canterbury Magistrates heard environmental health inspectors found shocking standards of cleanliness in both the kitchen and food stores.

Paul Tapsell, prosecuting on behalf of Canterbury City Council, showed the court 23 pictures from the inspection, which uncovered dirty fridges, mouldy ceilings and loose plaster.

He said: “The restaurant had been served with a hygiene improvement notice nine months earlier after several areas of concern were highlighted during a previous inspection.

“On February 25, the officer who attended found a series of problems. The owner pointed out a drain had been inactive and building work was due to take place imminently to repair it. Mould, mildew and fungal growths were found in areas with damp walls and ceilings.”

Mr Alam, from Cherry Garden Avenue, Folkestone, was fined £6,000 for contravening food hygiene standards and was ordered to pay costs of £2,231.41, with a £15 victim surcharge.

The 32-year-old, whose family have run the business since 1966, admitted the fine is a huge blow.

He said: “Times have been tough for us in the last year and on the day of the inspection I’d been waiting for building work to either start or get finished.

“We were due to have a lot of leaks, damaged gutters and loose plaster replaced, but the bad weather in January last year meant it was delayed. That’s what was to blame for a lot of the damp and mould.

“Two weeks later, all the work was finished and since then we have made huge improvements. Our last inspection was a week ago and that’s come back with some really good results.”

In 2006, the restaurant was voted one of the top 100 in the country in the British Curry Awards.