A CHIP shop owner who angered residents by failing to stop odours coming from his premises has been fined hundreds of pounds.
Mohammed Haque, of Bilford Avenue, Worcester, was found guilty in his absence after he failed to comply with a notice ordering him to install an odour control device at Kilburys.
On Thursday (January 9) Worcester Magistrates Court heard the city council issued a formal notice on July 16, following a succession of meetings and letters, for the device to be fitted within a month.
The council visited the fish bar on August 22 and, upon discovering the odour device had not been fitted, began court proceedings.
The device was a requirement of the planning permission given in 2010 to allow the building to be converted from a newsagent to a hot food takeaway.
Haque was due to appear before Worcester Magistrates on December 12, but rang the court to say he had just returned from holiday and hadn’t seen his solicitor.
The case was adjourned until January 9, but Haque again failed to attend.
In his absence, Haque was fined £600, told to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £60.
A council spokesman said: “All this could have been avoided if Mr Haque had simply installed this odour control device in the first place, instead of causing considerable inconvenience to Kilbury Drive residents who have had to put up with the odours and fumes from his business day after day.”
