AN Indian takeaway restaurant and a town centre cafe have been told to make major improvements after reports by the Food Standards Agency.

A Taste of India in Duke Street, Askam, and Tudor Cafe in Market Street, Dalton, were both given a food hygiene rating of one star out of five after inspections were carried out earlier this year.

A food safety officer at the Market Street premises concluded after his investigation that improvements were needed with regards to the handling of food and the cleanliness of the building and its facilities.

It also judged that major food safety improvements were also needed to ensure that systems or checks are in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat.

The owner of the cafe was contacted by the Evening Mail but declined to comment on the matter. A Taste of India could not be reached for comment.

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Chequers Hotel and Restaurant in Abbey Road, Dalton, was awarded the top mark of five stars.

Bar manager, Adam Barker, praised his head chef Steve Armstrong for making sure that the kitchen was fit for purpose and insisted that getting five out of five in the food hygiene ratings has always been one of the hotel's top priorities.

He said: "A lot of people nowadays look online at the ratings before eating so it's important for us to make sure that we are passing our inspections.

"It is very difficult because the Food Standards Agency can throw you up on anything. They don't just look in your kitchen, they look in the bar, cellar, entrances and exits - absolutely everywhere.

"The inspectors used to come round once in a blue moon and you used to know when they were coming but now they keep it vague and just tell you that they are coming in the next few months.

"In my opinion that is so much better because if they catch you when you've got a lot of customers or halfway through a wedding, it shows how you cope in real-life situations which can be flung at you from time to time. The council should be spending more on environmental health and stop cutting money on inspections."