THE owner of a County Durham takeaway which was given the worst possible score has said he wants to put things "behind him" after being re-inspected.

Sciliano on Darlington Road in Ferryhill was awarded a zero star food hygiene rating after a damning inspection on September 10, 2021.

Following reports of pests on the premises, environmental health offices advised the business make a number of improvements to "prevent" reoccurrence.

Read more: Takeaway in Ferryhill in County Durham gets zero hygiene rating

Now Abdul Ahmadi, who owns the takeaway, has said all the changes have been made and had been told he will receive a new four star hygiene rating.

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He said: "Whatever the council has asked us to do we have done it, there were issues and it has been addressed."

Explaining that the business had been given five star ratings previously, Mr Ahmadi described the poor rating as a "one-off" as he vowed to keep scores high.

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But further offering reassurances to customers after being told his business would be receiving a four, he said: "I would add that the score (of four) is the score we have now."

Under regulations from the Food Standards Agency, businesses have 21 days from the date of the inspection lodge an appeal.

That means that the score given during an inspection is not made official until three weeks after the inspection date.

In the case of Mr Ahmadi, provided he does not lodge an appeal against the new score, the business will officially get a four-star rating by the first week of December.

He said he would be running a campaign of special offers to help celebrate his new four star hygiene rating. 

On Monday, Joanne Waller, the council’s head of community protection, confirmed that an unannounced revisit had taken place with the venue being awarded a new score.

She said: “The premises received an unannounced re-inspection in line with Food Standards Agency guidance and has been given an improved hygiene rating.

"However, there is an official 21-day appeal period before the new rating can be published on the FSA’s website.”

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