A takeaway owner who failed to display a hygiene sticker at his business has been fined in court.

Seyhan Sheban, who owns the Diamond and Pizza takeaway in Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, was convicted in his absence by Haverfordwest magistrates on Monday.

Food businesses are obliged to display their food hygiene rating at all entrances to their premises to give potential customers the opportunity to view it before entering.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s prosecutor Jill Davies told the court that the takeaway was given a hygiene rating of one following a site visit in April 2019.

Numerous visits to the takeaway were made during 2019 to make sure Mr. Sheban was complying with the law.

In July last year, the takeaway was issued a fixed penalty notice by the council after it failed to display the hygiene sticker.

This was paid in full and Mr. Sheban was reminded to display the hygiene sticker.

When asked why he hadn’t displayed it, Mr. Sheban told the inspecting officer that the business would “deteriorate” if the sticker was displayed.

Another site visit was made to premises on November 8, when once again no hygiene sticker was displayed.

Ms. Davies concluded by saying that there was a misleading indication to the public and that the takeaway was prejudicing against other food businesses who were complying with the law.

Passing sentence, the chairman of the bench slammed the defendant for not taking the issue seriously.

He also said that there was no mitigation from the defendant and that he continuously ignored health warnings from PCC.

Magistrates fined the defendant £1,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £552 along with a victim surcharge of £100.

After the case the council’s cabinet member for environment, public protection and Welsh language, Clr Cris Tomos, said: “All businesses with food hygiene ratings are required by law to display their ratings in a conspicuous position so that potential customers can make decisions relating to the hygiene standards before entering a premises and ordering food.

“For a business to refuse to display its rating is a deliberate act to hide this information from customers.

"The authority will continue to take firm action where a refusal to display the rating occurs.”