A RESTAURANT boss helped a gang of illegal shell-fishers gather oysters off the shore of Southend, a court has heard.

Tian Xue, 43, is accused of breaching food hygiene offences after police caught the group with around 37.5kg of oysters.

Xue, a director of a Chinese restaurant and takeaway in London, is accused of driving the gang from Ilford to Southend and helping load a vehicle with buckets full of oysters.

Basildon Crown Court was told yesterday the large quantity of oysters gathered by the illegal shell-fishers meant it was likely they intended to sell them for a profit.

It is a Southend Council led investigation.

Prosecuting, Marcus Croskell said: “What we have here is this man involved with a number of others going to Southend to get large numbers of oysters.

“Police went to the shore in the early hours of June 4, 2020, and found two similar vehicles which transported a large group of shellfish gatherers.

“Three people were going up and down the shore and taking oysters to a group of eight others who were shucking the shellfish with knives and screwdrivers and putting them in buckets.

READ MORE >>>

“Eight people were on stools on the mudflats and others were bringing them buckets and they were extracting the oysters.

“This defendant is involved in the food trade, he’s previously been a director at a Chinese takeaway and he’s currently a director of a Chinese takeaway and a chef at one in London too.”

Mr Croskell also told the court police had reported seeing the same group of people in the area around ten days before they were eventually caught.

Xue, of Glebelands Avenue, Ilford, is charged with failure to comply with regulation 852/2004 Annex II Chapter IX Paragraph 3 contrary to regulation 19 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013.

He is also charged with failure to comply with regulation 178/2002 Article 14 contrary to Regulation 19 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013.

Xue denies the charges and claims he collected shellfish for profit.

The trial continues.