A pair of Haverfordwest kebab shop owners, who served and prepared meals in a ‘dirty’ outlet with a sewage leak, were fined by magistrates last week.

Onur Akay, aged 22, and Haydar Yildiz, aged 40, both of Picton Place, admitted three counts of breaking food hygiene regulations at Kebabs R Us between December 1st, 2010, and February 11th, 2011.

The court heard that inspectors found a leaking sewage pipe in the washroom that had been left dripping into a bowl when they visited the premises on February 8th.

“On examination, the officers could smell sewage and saw splattering on the walls and around the washbasin area,” said prosecutor Sally Ann Martin.

Miss Martin said that inspectors also discovered risk of cross-contamination when they found raw meat on the top shelf of the fridge above opened sauce and salad containers.

She also said that the same chopping board was used to cut raw and cooked meat at the premises, and that the cellar floor was “thick with dirt” with a decomposing chicken breast and other food lying near the freezer.

The court heard that the defendants, who didn’t declare themselves as new owners, also failed to maintain a regular hygiene and safety record.

Miss Martin said that at the time, Kebabs R Us had a food hygiene rating of nil, and a hygiene improvement notice was served.

Mark Layton, defending, said that the defendants, who spoke very little English, were unaware of the proper procedures when they took over the business three months prior to the inspection.

He said: “They had just assumed proprietorship of the premises and were not in situ for a prolonged period.”

He added that when the premises was revisited and inspected on April 18th, the hygiene improvement notice had been complied with.

The pair were fined £1,500 each for the three offences, and ordered to pay £800 costs, and a £15 surcharge.