Redbridge Council issued Cha Sha in Ilford with a legal notice under the Environmental Protection Act setting out conditions for the storage and management of its commercial waste.
But during unannounced compliance checks on the Ilford Lane business – registered as Moju Trading Ltd – enforcement officers found the shop ignoring the legal notice.
They found the store’s commercial waste bin unlocked and overfilled, along with open bags of waste, discarded shop furnishings, and other loose rubbish left on the ground in a way they felt was likely to attract vermin to the area.
But despite several reminder letters, the fines went unpaid, leading to court action.
“Failure to store waste correctly is a threat to public health,” the council’s cabinet member for community safety Khayer Chowdhury stressed.
“We have zero tolerance for grime crime in our borough. It’s up to all of us to keep Redbridge clean and tidy, and this includes businesses.
“This prosecution should be a warning that we are taking tough action against those businesses that don’t act responsibly with waste.”
Moju Trading’s two company directors, Mussana Khalid, 38, and Rabeea Quraishi, 33, were summonsed to appear at Barkingside Magistrates Court, on September 2, each charged with five offences of failing to comply with the EPA
After failing to attend court, the case was heard in their absence and the charges against them were proved, leading to a fine as well as court and council costs – all totalling £4,675.
