Central London restaurants fined for mice infestation and falsifying documents

Wong Kei, the well-known Chinatown restaurant has received over £40,000 in fines after cockroaches and dead mice were found in the kitchen and the owner was found to have falsified documents.  In a separate case brought by the City Council, Little Sicily on Whitehall was also prosecuted after failing to correct numerous hygiene offences, most notably a mouse infestation.

Gosing Limited, the operators of the Chinatown stalwart pleaded guilty to four offences of failing to comply with EU food safety and hygiene regulation and was fined at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 4, 2024, and ordered to pay £31,503.25 in fines and costs.

After an initial visit by Westminster City Council’s Environmental Health team in 2022, Wong Kei operating under Jexstar Limited, was served two Hygiene Improvement Notices and was asked to improve business standards. As a result, the Council was told that its director Mr. Daniel Luc had parted company with the restaurant. However, in May 2023, the restaurant which now operated under Gosing Limited was inspected again and found there was no change to the business as Mr. Daniel Luc still retained overall control.

The restaurant was found to have issues with mice and cockroaches as well as other food hygiene offences including cross contamination of raw and precooked food, and unsanitary hygiene practices by staff. Subsequently, the court fined Mr. Luc a total of £10,803.25 for pleading guilty to all offences.  The total fines amounted to £42,306.50, and between Mr. Luc and Gosing Ltd  they pled guilty to over eleven (11) food hygiene offenses.

In a separate matter, the director of Italian themed restaurant Little Sicily, Mr. Magdi Assif, was also charged with three food hygiene offences at Westminster Magistrates’ court on September 4, 2024, and issued with penalties totalling £20,176.50. Following a routine inspection of the eatery on Whitehall by the council there was evidence of mice droppings in the kitchen and storage areas, and mouldy food was found in the fridge. Inspectors also found sinks blocked by lettuce heads, grease dripping from cookers and mice droppings on the ground. Upon further inspection they also found cockroaches scuttling off after moving three chillers. This resulted in a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice being served on the Food Business on the 26^{th of} June 2023.

The court heard how inspecting officers had also issued a previous Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice to Little Sicily Restaurant Limited on January 25^th, 2023, relating to mice activity at the premises. Due to Mr. Assif’s poor history as the director of the business, it was decided, in the interest of the public to proceed with prosecution as the premises had been closed twice in 6 months.

Westminster City Council remains dedicated to educating businesses to uphold the highest food safety standards. For more information about what the council does to ensure all establishments serve food that is safe to consume more information can be found on our website.  

Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection said:

These fines demonstrate that Westminster Council remains committed to ensuring the safety and protection of consumers who enjoy the wide variety of food within the borough.

Our vigilant food safety officers will continue to monitor and inspect all food-preparing and food-serving places to ensure they adhere to all laws and regulations that we as a council set.  And it is only fair that we ensure that those businesses who invest in compliance have the chance to thrive and that those who put others at risk of harm are held to account for their failures and unscrupulous practices"