BROMLEY PROSECUTE MAN FOR THIRD TIME OVER NOISY MUSIC
A Beckenham man was found guilty on three counts of breaching an abatement notice at Bexley magistrates court on Tuesday – the THIRD time Bromley council had prosecuted the man in FIVE years.
“The man denied all charges but magistrates found in favour of Bromley on all three charges and he was fined a total of £225, ordered to pay £500 costs and a £20 victim surcharge” said a council spokeswoman.
“The original Notice instructing the man to cease playing loud music was served in December 2011. In December 2014, a Bromley council noise officer witnessed loud amplified music heard from a neighbour’s property and was satisfied of a breach of the notice.
“From the evening of 14 January 2015 until the early hours of 15 January 2015, the council obtained audio recordings of loud amplified music emanating from the man’s property.
“Further recordings were obtained from the evening of 16 January 2015 until the early hours of 17 January 2015. “Following a review of these recordings, the council was satisfied that there had been two further breaches of the notice.
“Magistrates commented on the information provided by, and the credibility of the Bromley council officers giving evidence in this case.
“Despite the defence having an experienced expert witness with regard to the recordings, they failed to convince the bench that the officers opinions were incorrect and invalid.”
Bromley’s executive member for public protection and safety Cllr Kate Lymer said: “If a noise abatement notice is not enough to stop someone causing a nuisance, officers will continue to take action until the offender ceases their disruptive activities.” (Source: Bromley council press release)
BECKENHAM GETS PURPLE FLAG FOR NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY
Beckenham has been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag award by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) for its night time economy.
The accreditation indicates a gold standard for town centres at night. In the same way blue flags recognise outstanding beach quality, the purple flag accreditation scheme recognises excellence in managing a thriving, vibrant evening economy atmosphere and that a town centre has addressed potential evening safety concerns.
Cllr Peter Morgan, Bromley’s portfolio holder for renewal and recreation stated “The decision to award Beckenham this prestigious prize is very positive news and will dovetail well with the public realm improvements we are planning to make. Beckenham’s purple flag status indicates that the town possesses a thriving, vibrant and just as importantly, a safe nightlife too.
“This is not just about bars and pubs but also includes the many and varied activities which can be found in the evening in Beckenham, including the impressive range of eateries, the cinema and even the choral activities which take place in the church.” Source: Bromley council press release)
FILTHY KITCHEN EARNS RESTAURATEUR £6,000 IN FINES
A coming-of-age ceremony in Thornton Heath became memorable for all the wrong reasons when more than 200 guests fell ill.
The director and owner of the restaurant which catered the event appeared before Croydon magistrates (Tuesday 12) to plead guilty to a string of charges in his own name and that of the company.
Individual fines of £300 were levied against each of 20 hygiene offences – 10 for the company, 10 for the director – alongside costs of £1,880 and a victim surcharge of £120, totaling £8,000.
Environmental health officers were alerted by the event’s organiser in December 2014 when a large number of guests were taken ill.
Enquiries revealed that the food was produced by and delivered from the restaurant, which had been inspected just one month earlier and found to be at the highest risk rating, having a number of hygiene problems requiring immediate attention.
Officers visited the restaurant a few days after the party and noted that the kitchen walls, floor and ceiling were very dirty and damaged in several areas, failing to meet the standards required of a food business.
Kitchen staff were ignorant of basic food safety practices and were seen handling food without washing their hands before doing so.
The hand wash basin could not be used as it was cluttered with dirty cloths and utensils. The freezer was overstocked, with products apparently thrown in without any order applied.
The floor and walls of the walk-in chiller were dirty with food spillages and the shelving was covered in food debris. Raw meat and chicken were stored next to and directly above cooked and ready-to-eat foods, such as salads.
The washing up sink was blocked, with a marked smell of sewage.
Officers gave the director detailed advice and requested that several issues be addressed immediately. These included hand-washing procedures, improvements to the cleaning regime, repairs, and the restaurant’s food-safety management system. the director agreed to rectify these matters.
Returning the following day and finding very little improvement, officers served two hygiene improvement notices as the business was not compliant with hygiene regulations.
Six out of ten of food samples and surface swabs were found to be unsatisfactory, showing that procedures were inadequate and that food was being prepared and sold in an unsafe manner. Officers again advised the director, and required immediate improvements to be made.
A return inspection in January 2015, found some effort had been made to repair and clean, but the business continued to fall short of compliance. The food safety management system was inadequate, the cleaning remained unsatisfactory and repairs had not been completed. (Source: Croydon council press release)
