A director of an Indian restaurant has been fined £4,000 for breaching food hygiene regulations.

Saravanan Kirubanandam, 37, manager at Cafe Madras, in Whitley Street, Katesgrove, admitted eight offences when he appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on Monday.

The court heard the breaches over two visits by environmental health officers included poor cleaning of walls, floors, equipment and hand-contact surfaces, lack of training and failure to control the access of pests – particularly flies.

There was no documented food safety management system in place during a second visit and there was no towel at the hand basin.

Officers from Reading Borough Council first visited the restaurant, which specialises in South Indian cuisine, in September 2012 and found there to be poor standards.

Although there was some improvement after follow-up visits, standards were not sustained when a visit was made on February, 19, 2013, and a hygiene improvement notice was served on the premises, instructing them to carry out a deep clean.