A Harlington restaurant and its manager have been fined more than £22,000 after a shocking cockroach infestation was discovered during a council inspection.
A restaurant in Harlington has been ordered to pay more than £22,000 after an investigation by Hillingdon Council revealed a significant cockroach infestation, despite a previous conviction for hygiene violations.
Harlington Tandoori, operating under Heathrow Tandoori Limited, and its manager, Joshua Money, 31, faced Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 28 January. Money admitted to seven breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations, resulting in substantial fines and legal penalties.
The court heard that on 28 September 2023, council food hygiene and safety officers conducted an unannounced inspection of the restaurant and takeaway following a complaint from a customer who reported seeing a cockroach crawling across their table. Upon inspection, officers discovered hundreds of cockroaches throughout the establishment, including in the bar, main kitchen, and external stockroom. Additionally, cooking equipment was found in a filthy state, and prepared food was stored without proper labelling. Given the severity of the infestation, Money voluntarily agreed to close the premises immediately.
Despite the intervention of a specialist pest control contractor and the restaurant being allowed to reopen on 24 October 2023, further inspections continued to expose hygiene violations. Officers visited the site on multiple occasions, culminating in two hygiene improvement notices being served on 13 December 2023. A follow-up inspection on 20 February 2024 showed that although some improvements had been made, significant failures persisted.
For failing to uphold food safety and hygiene standards, Money was fined £512, ordered to pay a £205 victim surcharge, and charged the council’s prosecution costs of £1,890, bringing his total financial penalty to £2,607. Additionally, the court imposed a hygiene prohibition order, barring him from managing any food business for 18 months.
Heathrow Tandoori Limited was also fined £16,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge, along with prosecution costs of £1,891.75, bringing its total penalty to £19,891.75.
Despite a previous conviction for hygiene offences, Heathrow Tandoori failed to meet basic food safety standards, leading to court action and a temporary closure.
This is not the first time the business has faced legal action for hygiene offences. In November 2018, the restaurant was convicted and fined £4,933 for failing to prevent infestations of pests, including rats and cockroaches, and for not maintaining proper hygiene standards.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, condemned the restaurant’s repeated breaches, stating: “This is a shocking case, where despite a previous conviction and multiple improvement notices, this restaurant consistently failed to uphold basic standards of cleanliness, putting residents’ health and safety at a high risk. As a consequence, they must now pay the price for their actions.
“I hope it serves as a strong warning to other businesses that neglecting food hygiene and training will not be tolerated.”
Hillingdon Council has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing food safety regulations and taking action against businesses that put public health at risk. The prosecution highlights the importance of maintaining high hygiene standards and the consequences of failing to comply with regulations.
Residents are encouraged to report food hygiene concerns to the council to help ensure that all food establishments meet the required standards.
