An Inverness takeaway is still operating by day – despite its late hours catering licence being suspended over fire safety concerns.
The Chicken Hut premises in the city’s Drummond Street must now close between the hours of 11pm and 3am after Highland Council’s licensing committee suspended their licence with immediate effect.
The issue was discussed in private by committee members following the production of an environmental health report.
A spokeswoman for the local authority said: “The council takes breaches of health and safety very seriously and officers will proactively take action to ensure the health and wellbeing of customers.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind all food premises of their responsibilities to ensure they comply with all regulations.”
The spokeswoman added that officers will be continuing to monitor the Chicken Hut premises.
The takeway is currently still operating daily between the hours of 3pm and 11pm.
But members of the licensing committee only have the power to suspend the takeaway’s late night licence, with daytime licences falling under the remit of other public bodies.
Committee chairman Ian Cockburn said he was most concerned by a breach of gas regulations at the premises.
He said these included old and unsafe gas cookers being labelled okay to use and fire alarms not working, especially problematic in a premises with a basement.
He added: “The regulations are there to make sure everyone is safe, including the staff working there.
“It’s a premises with a whole lot of buildings all together and that could be a big problem.
“If you look at Glasgow Art School, it’s an example of what can happen – it has taken a whole block out.
“It’s a reminder to other businesses that you can not ride roughshod over the regulations and that you will be caught out if you do.”
He said the fire service has been into the Chicken Hut premises to fix the alarms and make sure they are not using the gas.
The council’s team of environmental health officers can do spot checks of premises and also follow up on complaints raised by members of the public.
If the business wants to reopen at night they will have to reapply for a licence and demonstrate they can fulfil the criteria.
The issues were discussed in private by members of the council’s licensing committee this week.
If the public have any concerns they should contact the local authority’s environmental health team by e-mailing environmental.health@highland.gov.uk