An Indian restaurant in Dartford that kept onion bhajis in a laundry basket has been told it needs major improvement by food hygiene inspectors.

Green Spice in Green Street Green Road was told 'major improvement' was necessary when inspectors visited in March.

Inspectors rate establishments out of five options, from zero - meaning 'urgent improvement necessary' - to five, meaning 'very good'.

Inspectors rated Green Spice one and said there would be a revisit by an officer.

In reports recently seen by News Shopper, inspectors found raw and high risk food being stored next to each other in the walk-in refrigerator.

Inspectors said: "Cooked chicken tub was stored directly on top of marinating raw meat tub, raw vegetables stored above ready to eat yoghurt.

"Pre-cooked onion bhajis were stored in laundry baskets in the walk in refrigerator. The onion bhajis were not protected from contamination.

"There was a stained dirty wet tea towel in a bucket of shredded vegetables being used to stop the vegetables from drying out. The vegetables were in water. The stained, dirty wet tea towel poses a risk of contamination of food.

"There was unlabelled/undated frozen raw meat in a plastic bag in the freezer in the basement store.

"A food handler was observed to wipe his hands on a cloth tied to his apron."

The hand wash basin in the kitchen was also obstructed by a large trolley of food.

As well as these findings, inspectors said the general standard of cleaning was poor, with little attention to detailed cleaning being paid.