A RESTAURANT infested with cockroaches and rats posed “a serious risk to public health” and continued to serve food despite its horrific conditions.

There were also maggots rotting in the kitchen at Jewel Balti on Newport’s Chepstow Road, Tom Roberts, prosecuting, said.

The restaurant’s former directors Aktar Miah and Afzal Miah were told they were lucky not to be going to prison after they appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentence.

They were handed suspended jail sentences after they admitted a number of food hygiene offences.

South Wales Argus:

Aktar Miah, one of the defendants and an ex-director, pictured with his wife Sofia Andrioti who is now a director of the business with the restaurant having made “significant improvements” since the offences, the court was told

Their company, Desi Kitchen (NPT) Ltd, was fined £14,000.

MORE NEWS: Female prison officer accused of having relationship with inmate

Mr Roberts said Newport city environmental health officers discovered the horrendous state of the restaurant and its kitchen in January 2022.

He told the court: “One of the officers went into a corridor and saw a rat hiding in a hole at floor level.

South Wales Argus: A mass of rotting maggots was found in the kitchen. Picture: Newport council

“It disappeared before she could photograph it but it could be heard scurrying around inside the wall.”

There was “a high risk of an adverse effect on the public”, Mr Roberts added after summing up a deluge of failings which also included chopping boards and knives “ostensibly” ready to use ingrained with dirt and with "food debris stuck to them".

Tarriq Saddique for Aktar Miah said: “Fortunately no member of the public were affected in any way.”

He added how his client’s wife was now the director of the business and the defendant is a father-of-three with interests in two other businesses including a chip shop.

South Wales Argus:

Rats had gnawed through the walls. Picture: Newport council

Afzal Miah, representing himself, was told off by Judge Shomon Khan after he began to address him with chewing gum in his mouth.

After apologising and removing the gum, he said he cared for his mother in her 60s who has a number of health difficulties and he takes her to hospital.

South Wales Argus: Judge Shomon Khan said the restaurant was kept in “appalling, filthy conditions”. Picture: Newport council

He told the court he was unemployed and claiming benefits but was looking for work.

Judge Khan told the defendants: “You are here to be sentenced for frankly appalling food hygiene.

“The fact that this restaurant traded in these conditions is appalling.

“There was a mass of decomposing maggots found by the environmental health officers, amongst which were live cockroaches.

“There was clearly a lengthy period of infestation of cockroaches and evidence of rat droppings.

“One of the rats could be heard scuttling inside the kitchen walls.”

He added: “What struck me when hearing the facts is that people were willing to work in these conditions.

“I find that astonishing, let alone the fact that you were prepared to serve customers in those appalling, filthy conditions.”

Aktar Miah, 37, of Milton Road, Newport was jailed for 12 months with the sentence suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and pay £6,000 prosecution costs.

Afzal Miah, 28, of Clevedon Road, Newport was jailed for 10 months but his sentence was also suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,400 prosecution costs.

The court heard the restaurant is still trading and has made “significant improvements” since these offences after it was visited again by council officials.