A RESTAURANT boss who flouted hygiene rules until his business was given a zero food safety rating has been slapped with a £60,000 fine.

Walter Haiser, owner of the Old Vienna restaurant, in Eastwood Road, Leigh, ignored repeated warnings from Southend Council about the disgusting condition of his premises.

Officers carrying out routine inspections found a range of failings, taking pictures of flies sitting on uncovered mince pies and cooked duck that was left out all afternoon.

They also found cooked turkey left in a dirty oven and party food left out all afternoon, uncovered and unrefrigerated, to be served in the evening.

The premises was also falling apart, with broken glazing in the kitchen, a collapsed ceiling over the cooker and the kitchen floor peeling with congealed dirt.

Mark Flewitt, executive councillor for housing, planning and public protection, said: “We had to take this action to protect public health and make sure that the food hygiene regulations would be complied with in future.

“Friern Leasing Limited and Mr Haiser had been failing to do this for a long time.”

Haiser, 76, of Woodlands Park, Leigh, admitted 13 summonses, along with another 13 against his company, Friern Leasing Ltd, at Southend Magistrates’ Court on yesterday.

He was fined £11,760 and his company Friern Leasing Ltd was fined £45,000.

Mr Haiser was ordered to pay £2,920 costs and he and his company must also pay a victim surcharge totalling £271.

The Old Vienna’s food safety rating sank from one to zero.

This is the lowest possible rating, and means that urgent major improvements were needed.

Problems began when officers carrying out routine inspections, spotted serious hygiene and food preparation flaws.

They advised Mr Haiser how to address these, but when they inspected the restaurant again there was no change so they served improvement notices on him.

These required him to take specific action to make sure he complied with food hygiene legislation.

He failed to do so and was prosecuted.

Magistrates heard that the premises were not kept clean and hygienic, and there were not adequate controls in place to make sure that food prepared, cooked, cooled, stored and served to customers was safe for consumption.

Some food items were found to be unfit.

There were also extensive structural repair matters.

These kept deteriorating because maintenance problems were not tackled in time to stop them getting worse.

'Fawlty Towers' comparison

THE Old Vienna restaurant was once one of the most popular restaurants in Leigh.

Its regular "oompah bands" were a much-loved feature of the well patronised restaurant.

In recent years its fortunes had declined, however.

In December 2014 the restaurant’s roof caught on fire. Four fire engines tackled the blaze which was confined to the roof space of the building.

Fortunately the building was closed at the time and no one was injured. 

In December 2015 police were called to settle a furious dispute between restaurant customers and management, that led to six members of staff walking out. Upset diners claimed they were not given their food and refused refunds, with some likening it to TV comedy Fawlty Towers after being served "the worst meal ever".

Despite the uproar the oompah band played on "just like on the Titanic".

Restaurant owner, Walter Haiser stated he called the police after a rowdy and rude group tried to leave without paying.

The six members of staff walked out mid-shift due to the dispute, leaving diners in the lurch as only two waiters remained to serve about 100 customers.

In the same month, Mr Haiser said he was considering retirement after the ordeal. 

The restaurant also got a rating of zero for their food hygeine, with urgent improvement necessary.