Tariq Nazir
Food hygiene offences *
Sentence
4-month suspended prison term, five days of rehabilitation activity, 120 hours of unpaid work, £2,500 in costs
Tariq Nazir, 56, of Green Lane, Middlesbrough, ran The Pizza Shop on Linthorpe Road as a sole trader. During a routine inspection on 16 August 2023, inspectors discovered live rats scurrying up walls, dirt-encrusted surfaces, grease, food unfit for human consumption, an open tray of rat poison on the floor, filthy cooking surfaces, dirty equipment, poor food storage in a walk-in fridge, and grime-covered waste pipes, plugs, and cables. The premises were deemed an immediate risk to health and closed by Middlesbrough Council. Upon revisit a month later after resuming trading, mouse droppings and ongoing hygiene failures including dirty pizza ovens and fridges were found. The conditions posed serious food contamination risks.
Pleaded guilty to five food hygiene offences. History of non-compliance since 2018 and prior conviction in 2008. Personal challenges including family bereavements and caring for a disabled family member cited. Also received a five-year hygiene prohibition order banning him from managing food businesses.