A DIRTY Vietnamese restaurant has been fined £3,500 for breaching food hygiene regulations.

Lewisham Council’s environmental health officers discovered Chung Viet restaurant, in Deptford High Street, had filthy conditions in the kitchen, food preparation and food storage areas.

Officers found there was an infestation of mice and cockroaches.

Rodent faeces were found contaminating food and preparation areas and some food had been gnawed by rodents.

Other breaches included staff smoking in the kitchen, inadequate levels of food hygiene training and inadequate documentation about the food safety management systems in place.

Owner Chun Van Hoang pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Health Act 2006 and the The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 at Greenwich Magistrates Court on February 16.

He was fined £3,500 and more than £2,000 in costs.

Lewisham Council’s cabinet member for customer services, Councillor Susan Wise, said: “Businesses supplying food to the public have a responsibility to provide food which is fit for human consumption and prepared in a safe, clean environment.

Food safety officers were forced to take emergency action and closed the business until work was completed to address the cleaning, disinfection and pest control.

“Where businesses fail to do so we will take action. This can include closure and, in some instances criminal prosecution where serious breaches of the regulations have occurred.”