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Legal Proceedings.
(a) Statutory Nuisances.
Proceedings were instituted in four cases where persons responsible
failed to comply with Statutory Notices served by the Authority
In one instance the Summons was withdrawn on the payment of £3 3s. 0d.
costs. Nuisance Orders were made, and costs imposed, in the other
cases, in one of which the Council sought and obtained a penalty and
further costs for non-compliance with the Nuisance Order. The
necessary work was subsequently completed.
(b) Unsound Food.
Proceedings were instituted in three cases all concerned with the
careless contamination of food. Fines and costs amounting to
£39 15s. 0d. were imposed upon the defendants.
Moveable Dwellings.
Six families occupied moveable dwellings under licence from the
Council during 1950. Frequent inspections were made, but no public
health nuisance was discovered.
Food Premises.
We have devoted a good deal of time to the inspection of food
shops, and foodstuffs. During the year the Council made Byelaws
under Section 15 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, for securing the
observance of sanitary and cleanly conditions and practice in connection
with the handling, wrapping, and delivery of food, and each occupier
of food premises in the area received a copy of the Byelaws, together
with a covering letter emphasising the more important points, and
seeking co-operation.
It was not necessary to take statutory action under the Byelaws.
Warnings were given to certain traders, but, generally speaking, satisfaction
may be expressed with the conduct of food shops in the area.
One should, I think, make a plea for a reasonable and common
sense attitude on this subject. Some of the suggestions and demand
made by inexperienced persons for the improvement of food handling
border on the farcical. We should, and do, emphasise the need for the
exercise of personal hygiene by all food handlers, keeping particular
vigilance on those dealing with foods which provide an excellent medium
for the spread of infection.
Through the co-operation of traders, many tons of food were
surrendered to the Inspectors as unfit for human consumption. This is
destroyed under supervision, or if the food is allowed to return to the
original vendor in some other district, the Inspector of that area is notified
It was not necessary formally to sieze any food because of its unsoundness.
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