A KFC outlet in London was fined around £25,000 for posing a risk to public health, after rats were found in the kitchen during a surprise inspection.
The Waltham Forest Council inspected a KFC outlet in High Road, Leytonstone, East London, in August 2022 and ordered its closure with immediate effect.
The inspection team found gnawed bags of breading flour in the storeroom and a large rat hole in the floor.
At Thames Magistrates’ Court on March 12, the company was fined £22,000, plus £2,339 in costs.
KFC franchisee Triple D Limited and director Abdul Daroowala pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to put in place adequate procedures to control pests and poor levels of cleanliness.
Councillor Khevyn Limbajee said the KFC franchise had committed a terrible breach of trust.
“With so many people ordering their food online these days they would have no idea what the state of the kitchens were like," he said.
KFC claimed that after the short-term closure in 2022, the restaurant team carried out vital improvements. Since 2023, it has maintained a four-star hygiene rating, it added.
