Restaurant owner banned for five years

A RESTAURANT owner has been banned from being a company director for five years after an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Arnold Jacob ran Kayal in Leamington Spa for four years before selling it in June 2014.

During that time, the restaurant had at least 14 visits from Warwickshire’s District Health and Community Protection team.

The visits resulted in notifications of 34 breaches of food hygiene legislation, five notices requiring Mr Jacob to improve food preparation and storage at the restaurant, and the team conducted formal interviews twice.

In 2011 Mr Jacob received a caution warning he could face prosecution if he did not improve the food hygiene standards at the restaurant and in July 2014 the company was successfully prosecuted – receiving the maximum fine of £20,000 for its breaches of food hygiene legislation.

The Insolvency Service subsequently disqualified Mr Jacob from acting as a director on the grounds that he had failed in his duty as a company director to ensure the restaurant complied with the relevant food hygiene legislation – as required of all restaurants.

Sue MacLeod, chief investigator of insolvent investigations, Midlands & West at the Insolvency Service, said: “That directors who demonstrate such blatant disregard for legislation which is there to protect the public, can expect action will be taken by the Insolvency Service to remove them from the market place.”