A kebab shop has become the only restaurant in Herne Bay to be handed a one-star hygiene rating after inspectors found a catalogue of failings.

Bay Kebabs and Burgers in High Street was given the score following an unannounced visit by Canterbury City Council officers in February.

The authority discovered salt and spices had been left next to chemicals, no soap was available to staff and raw meat was being stored next to ready-to-eat salads.

In their report, the inspectors say: “At the time of the visit, there was no handwash soap available.

“An employee went to nearby shops to purchase some after it was pointed out.

“Both fridges in the outdoor store room and one in the wash-up area had raw meat stored next to ready-to-eat salads and onions, prepared sauces and feta cheeses respectively.”

Bosses from Bay Kebabs were urged to ensure they had “adequate facilities for effective handwashing”.

Meanwhile, the assessors also recommended raw and ready-to-eat products be stored separately “to avoid and prevent cross-contamination”.

“Uncovered spices, salt [were] next to chemicals in the sink area,” the council officials add.

“Prepared food items stored did not have any labels to indicate their shelf life. This was discussed with staff and we were informed the maximum shelf life was two days.”

Damaged sections of flooring and walls in the premises were also said to need repairs, which staff insisted would be done.

Sandwiched between a barber shop and Vivid night club, the restaurant has a three- star rating on Trip Advisor and a mix of customer reviews.

The most recent, from February 2022 said the kebabs were "perfectly seasoned" and highly recommended "even if you have to travel".

While another said: "I'm sorry to say our meal experience was just awful. The salad was prepared in plastic containers which was not crisp and fresh, but sloppy and tasteless. Ninety per cent ended up being fed to the local seagulls."

The latest hygiene score is a remarkable fall from grace for the kebab shop, which was previously awarded five stars in 2019.

But it hopes to achieve a higher rating after a follow-up inspection, which took place on Monday.

A member of staff said: "There’s going to be a new score coming up.

"They've been here already, the inspectors, and hopefully, in a couple of days, we’ll get the news that five stars are back.”