U.K. Chinese restaurants and takeaways have dirtier kitchens than eating places serving other styles of cooking, according to environmental health officers.

A national survey of hygiene ratings found that more than half of 491 Chinese outlets failed to meet all legal requirements aimed at preventing food poisoning among diners. Almost half of Indian restaurants and takeaways surveyed also scored poorly in the survey of different cuisines, which was carried out for The Independent.

Similarly low ratings were given to kebab shops, while failings were found at a quarter of fish and chip shops and one in five Italian establishments. By contrast, corporate burger bars run by McDonald’s and KFC chicken houses were found to be very clean.

Paul Hiscoe, a director of Transparency Data, which carried out the survey, said, environmental health officers believe Chinese and Indian chefs struggle on hygiene because of "a combination of culture and language.” They did not always understand food laws and often had difficulty understanding instructions from council officers.