A CHINESE restaurant has been handed a new four-out-of-five food hygiene rating.

Panda Garden, at 88 Duke Street, was given the score after assessment on March 8, the Food Standards Agency's website shows.

Hygienic food handling was rated as generally satisfactory

Hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building was rated as good

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene

Management of food safety was rated very good

System or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future

Of Westmorland and Furness's 662 restaurants, cafes and canteens with ratings, 548 (83%) have ratings of five and none have zero ratings.