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Popular Belfast diner fined after rat found

Alley Cat diner in Belfast city centre has been prosecuted after a dead rat was found in a chill room. Picture by Hugh Russell
Alley Cat diner in Belfast city centre has been prosecuted after a dead rat was found in a chill room. Picture by Hugh Russell Alley Cat diner in Belfast city centre has been prosecuted after a dead rat was found in a chill room. Picture by Hugh Russell

A POPULAR Belfast city centre diner has apologised after a rat was found in a walk-in chiller last year.

Alley Cat was fined £950 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday after pleading guilty to five food hygiene offences.

Environmental health officers visited Alley Cat on Church Lane on February 12 last year after a member of the public reported they had seen a rat on the premises.

The officers then discovered a dead rat in a chiller that was being used to store food and beer.

The restaurant's kitchen was closed voluntarily.

Alley Cat pleaded guilty to offences including failure to protect food from contamination by pests; failure to supervise, instruct and train staff; and failure to ensure the kitchen wash hand basin was available for cleaning hands and provided with hygienic hand drying materials.

The American-style diner is now being run by a new food business operator and has recently been inspected.

Belfast City Council said the restaurant's new hygiene rating will be published soon.

Alley Cat said last night the fine was linked to its old kitchen and not the new diner and kitchen, which was refurbished last year.

"We have learned our lesson and we deeply regret what has happened in the past but in the last 18 months, we have made huge efforts and investment in new storage space and equipment, staff training, new recruitment and a range of health & safety consultants to make our customers get the best of food and drink with great service," the restaurant's owners said in a statement on Facebook.

The restaurant said it will refurbish the premises again this month and re-open under a different name.

"In two weeks’ time, we will re-open a refurbished and re-named bar," it said.

"We are determined that any past mistakes will never be repeated and our new team and owners are confident that the procedures, people and equipment are in place for that to be the case. And we will of course continue to work with the relevant authorities to complete regular inspections and show the results of these so that our customers can be assured of our practices."