Dagenham takeaway hit with £8,000 bill after 'serving cockroach in lamb curry'

An east London curry house has been hit with an £8,000 bill after a cockroach was served in a lamb dish there.

Shapla, in Dagenham, was raided by council inspectors following a customer complaint about a bug in their takeaway curry.

Officers attended the restaurant, which offers a chicken korma for £4.25, and discovered a cockroach infestation as well as “filthy” kitchen equipment and work surfaces.

Afjol Miah, the owner of Shapla, on Longbridge Road, pleaded guilty to serving food at high risk of contamination at Barkingside Magistrates' Court.

Councillor Laila Butt, Dagenham's Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “This case reveals a scandalous lack of basic hygiene on the premises.

"I can assure consumers and our residents that we will continue to act robustly to stand up for standards and take tough enforcement action.”

​Shapla was fined £3,500, with an extra £330 for Mr Miah. He was also ordered to pay legal costs, bringing the total up to £8,292.

The restaurant states on its website that “our food is cooked to the highest standards only using the best quality & freshest ingredients".