Restaurant owner fined after salmonella outbreak

A Chinese restaurant owner has been fined thousands of pounds after a food poisoning outbreak.

Two customers at China Red, in Gladstone Street, became ill after eating at the restaurant in September last year.

The council’s environmental health team investigated and the owners of China Red appeared at magistrates court in Newton Aycliffe on Wednesday (5 September).

Inspectors found a total of 33 food hygiene breaches.

The owner of China Red was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £1,225 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: “While the vast majority of food premises in Darlington are compliant with food hygiene laws, we will take action to protect the health of the public when this is not the case.”

The food hygiene ratings of all premises in Darlington can be accessed from www.darlington.gov.uk/foodhygiene