THE most recent takeaway to be inspected by environmental health officers in Barrow has been given a zero rating for food hygiene.

Officers from Barrow Borough Council's Environmental Health department visit all 560 food premises across Barrow, Dalton and Askam at a frequency between six months and five years determined by a hazard rating based on compliance history and the type of food being handled.

The inspector looks at food handling practices, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and the management of food safety.

After a premises has been inspected an overall number rating, from zero (the worst) to five (the best) is awarded, based on food standards found at the time of inspection.

On February 7, an inspector visited Singapore George in Rawlinson Street and awarded the thai and cantonese takeaway zero out of five.

The inspector declared major improvement was necessary in the areas of Hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and building while urgent improvements were needed in the management of food safety.

Earlier this month, the owner of Bombay Spice in Rawlinson Street hit back after being given a 1/5 rating.

Maz Bakth opened Bombay Spice, in Rawlinson Street in Barrow, towards the end of last year having worked as head chef at popular town centre cafe the Fig Tree and Indian takeaway Iesha's.

The 30-year-old was visited by officers from Barrow Borough Council at the end of January to carry out a statutory food hygiene inspection.

"Just 10 days before they came to do the inspection we'd had a devastating fire caused by an electrical fault," Mr Bakth explained.

"The fire caused around £5,000 of damage and a lot of our equipment, like the hand sanitisers, and our food temperatures and health and safety record books were destroyed.

"We did explain this to the inspectors but they weren't able to take it into account.

Business owners who are unhappy with their ratings can appeal the rating or request another inspection.