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At the end of the year the position was as follows :—
Cases outstanding from 1963 5
New cases investigated in 1964 4
Brought up to Council's standard 1
Ceased to be so occupied 3
Pending planning permission or enforcement action
at the end of the year 5
5. COURT PROCEEDINGS.
Apart from the cases taken against food hawkers already mentioned,
it was found necessary to proceed in the magistrates' courts
in another nine instances.
Three cases concerned smoking in places where there was open
food and one for various other contraventions of the Food Hygiene
(General) Regulations, 1960. In all, fines of £85 0s. 0d. were
imposed and costs of £11 11s. 0d. awarded.
There was a considerable increase in the number of complaints
received regarding foreign matter in foodstuffs, no fewer than fiftythree
(although not all were justified) being considered by the
Health Committee during the year varying from mould in an apple
strudel to a spider in a bottle of lemonade, the most common being
insufficiently cleansed milk bottles and discoloured bread. In a large
proportion of cases, the Committee would have authorised the
institution of proceedings but for the unwillingness of the complainants
to give evidence. On three occasions, prosecutions were dropped
when the complainants withdrew their original offer to appear. Four
cases only reached the magistrates' courts resulting in fines totalling
£60 0s. 0d. and costs awarded amounting to £23 2s. 0d. Two cases
had not been heard by the end of the year.
For selling meat unfit for human consumption a butcher was
fined £20 0s. Od. with £5 5s. 0d. costs.
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