Two kebab shop owners who infected nearly 150 customers after their meals were contaminated with human faeces have now been ordered to pay out over £28,000 in compensation.
Mohammad Abdul Basit and Amjad Bhatti, of the Khyber Pass takeaway in Nottingham, were responsible for an outbreak of E.coli that saw 142 customers fall seriously ill.
One 13-year-old girl nearly died when she was left in intensive care while others were left bedridden for days.
The outbreak was caused by the victims eating food contaminated with human faeces, food hygiene inspectors have said.
They were handed four-month jail sentences, suspended for 12 months, and were ordered to pay costs of £25,000 at Nottingham Crown Court. Each victim will also receive £200 compensation.
Paul Dales, from Nottingham City Council’s food, health and safety team, speaking after the case, described the outbreak as ‘significant’.
He said: ‘This was a significant and serious food poisoning outbreak affecting a large number of people, some of whom developed severe symptoms.
‘It’s fortunate there were no fatalities, as this is a strain of E.coli rarely found in the developed world, this being only the second confirmed outbreak in Europe.
‘It’s clear that hand-washing practices by some workers were wholly inadequate and this led to food becoming contaminated.’
