An Indian restaurant has been given a zero-star food hygiene rating after a damning inspection which uncovered mouldy food and an infestation of mice.

Officials uncovered a catalogue of serious issues at Masala Reef in Sheerness including a major infestation of rodents, serious hygiene flaws, water leaks and discarded vegetables so old they were sprouting again.

Swale Borough Council officers warned bosses at the Hope Street eatery urgent improvement was necessary as it laid bare the sorry state the restaurant found itself in before temporarily shutting down.

However, managers at Masala Reef have insisted they have turned things around and expect a good score when re-inspected within the next 30 days – pointing to the fact the council have since allowed them to reopen as evidence of this.

Inspectors found “there was direct contamination of fresh ginger by mice droppings, and droppings noted next to sacks of onions”.

Both mice and rat droppings were found elsewhere throughout the property including on food contact surfaces, amongst equipment, in hallways and in the gas meter cupboard in the customer seating area.

There were also rat holes in the garden and mice holes in skirting boards near a door leading to private areas.

Officers described the standard of cleaning as “poor throughout the premises”, highlighting a build-up of grease, dirt and food debris.

Floors, hallways, in and around equipment and holding cabinets were all affected by issues linked to cleanliness.

A mouldy lemon was found under the washing-up sink while an old potato left behind was growing roots.

As well as a build-up of dirt under the Tandoori ovens, the wall to the side of one had a peeling film covering, rendering it hard to clean.

Dirty tea towels were being used to wipe surfaces and clean up spillages, risking the contamination of food and preparation surfaces.

Food was not being stored correctly, with raw chicken stored next to cleaning products and open containers of vegetables next to the toilet.

SBC inspectors warned: “All food and articles such as utensils, that come into contact with food, must be protected from contamination.

“Food should be stored appropriately to protect them from contamination.

“The kitchen needs to be thoroughly cleaned, and where necessary disinfected. Ensure that hard-to-reach areas are not missed during cleaning and that equipment is regularly pulled out and cleaned behind.

“At all stages of production, processing and distribution, food is to be protected against any contamination likely to render the food unfit for human consumption, injurious to health or contaminated in such a way that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be consumed in that state.”

Other structural issues included the toilet door opening straight into a room full of defrosting food – with workers requesting an intervening door be installed.

The facility also lacked a proper drain cover outdoors and a wastewater pipe was discharging directly into the garden.

A water leak coming from the accommodation above had caused a ceiling to collapse and let water into the storeroom.

The food safety management system was not up to date, with Masala Reef workers admitting the “dusty, fading” document was not used – something inspectors said was “clear from the issues found”.

Following the inspection, it was noted cleaning had improved, the damaged ceiling had been repaired and pest management efforts had been made at the time of a revisit.

When approached by KentOnline, Masala Reef bosses said they were satisfied the issues highlighted had been rectified and were hopeful of obtaining a higher score.

They said: “It was bad, but it’s all good now - we’ve done more than the council expected us to do.

“The rats outside were a neighbouring problem. It belongs to everybody, it’s not just my problem.

“If the council didn’t find everything done properly, they would have not let us open again.

“Everything is up and running.”