A POPULAR Newport family pub has been given a hygiene rating of zero.

The Tredegar Arms, on Caerphilly Road in Bassaleg, has been given the zero rating following an inspection by a food safety officer who visited the former coaching inn on July 17.

The food inspector found that "major improvement" was "necessary" for both hygienic food handling and the management of food safety. The inspector also found that cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building need improvement.

Businesses given ratings of zero are told that they must make urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards. The local authority food safety officer will use a number of enforcement tools as well as giving advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made.

Owen Maxwell, who is manager of the Greene King-owned restaurant, said: "I took over this place yesterday.

"I am aware of the rating and we will work to rectify the rating."

A spokesman for Greene King said: “We pride ourselves on our normally high standards and we apologise to our customers for this unacceptable lapse. As soon as we received the report from the council, we took immediate action to remedy the situation.

“We have invested heavily in our kitchen and now have a new manager with a wealth of restaurant experience who started with us this week. We are confident in the pub’s standards and are seeking a re-inspection as we hope to regain our previous five-star rating as soon as possible.”

“We wish to reassure our guests that we have taken this very seriously, acted immediately and they can enjoy a visit with us with confidence.”

Food hygiene ratings can be found online on the Food Standards Agency website at ratings.food.gov.uk.