Council shuts sushi shop

A sushi restaurant in Greenwich was temporarily closed last week after an unannounced check up by Council environmental officers.

Itoshii in Nelson Road was forced to stop trading on Tuesday after the Council went to court to get an emergency prohibition order issued.

Council staff visited the business  to check if improvements required after a visit a month earlier had been carried out. Instead they discovered evidence of extensive rodent infestations.

There was evidence of mice and rats found in the storeroom, kitchen and even inside the wok burner cooker. There were large holes in the walls that allowed pests easy access to the restaurant and the general cleanliness of the premises was below standard.

Work was undertaken by the owners and the restaurant was allowed to reopen for business last Friday.

Matthew Norwell, Assistant Chief Executive for Community Safety and Integrated Enforcement at Greenwich Council, said:

“The Council will continue to carry out unannounced visits to food businesses in order to safeguard customers’ health. We also want residents to enjoy their leisure time in the borough without worrying about putting their health at risk.”