Tag Archives: Belfast

Child finds meth in Kinder Surprise toy container

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As much as kids love sweets, the best part of a Kinder Surprise isn’t the chocolate but the capsule inside which holds a new toy.

kinder.surprise.methAccording to the Daily Star, a five-year-old was with his eight-year-old brother when he spotted the familiar yellow plastic shell — which usually contains a toy — in a hedge.

He broke open the container and astonishingly there was a bag of white powder.

Thankfully the boys from Belfast handed their find over to their family, who gave it to police. The powder in the toy egg was later identified as drugs.

After testing, police were able to confirm the substance was the terrifying Class A drug methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth or ice.

Limavady DUP councillor Alan Robinson said as a father he knew how enticing Kinder eggs and their contents were to children and believed it to was lucky the children didn’t swallow the powder.

“In this instance the children are to be commended for passing the contents to their parents,” he said.

Poundstretcher in Belfast shopping center fined £1,800 over dead mice

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Dead mice, rodent droppings and poor food safety conditions have led to a pound shop being fined a total of £1,800.

dedadmiceeeeeeeeeePoundstretcher, which owns an outlet at Connswater Shopping Centre in east Befast, was also ordered to pay court costs of £75 for three food hygiene offences.

Environmental health staff found fresh mice droppings, a strong smell of urine and two dead mice during a routine inspection on February 14 last year.

Food stuffs were not protected from risk of contamination and procedures critical to food safety were found to be inadequate.

A notice was served to prohibit the use of storage areas in the shop, but was lifted on March 11 after three consecutive days of no pest activity and all pest proofing work completed. The conditions have now been improved to Belfast City Council’s satisfaction.

300 sickened; Belfast restaurant Flicks to confirm whether it will contest charges over 2012 E. coli O157 outbreak

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In Oct. 2012, reports started trickling in of people sick with E. coli O157 after dining at Flicks, a Belfast restaurant.

By Nov. 2012, 137 confirmed cases and 164 probable cases of E. coli O157 had been linked to this one restaurant.

flicks.belfast-300x184Belfast City Council brought charges, and today the restaurant bosses said they will confirm next month whether the charges will be contested.

The Belfast Telegraph reports a court case against Michael McAdam and Gabrielle Tolan over food poisoning allegedly associated with Flicks eatery was adjourned today to allow completion of a food hygiene report.

A case is also being pursued against Movie House Cinema Ltd as the owner of the restaurant. Charges against it include:

– Having no materials for cleaning or hygienically drying hands in the staff toilets and service area wash hand basin.

-Failing to keep staff toilets clean.

-Failing to ensure cooked and ready-to-eat food was not protected at all stages of production, processing and distribution against contamination with E. coli O157 likely to render the food unfit for human consumption.

-Having no soap in a preparation area wash hand basin.

-Kept chopped flat leaf parsley at a room temperature likely to support the growth of pathogenic microorganisms or the formation of toxics.

301 sick – from one restaurant? Flicks E. coli O157 outbreak continues to grow

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With 137 confirmed cases and 164 probable cases of E. coli O157 linked to Flicks restaurant in Belfast, and with no public explanation or guess as to how so many could get so sick from one diner in Ireland, the incident is taking on E.coli-O111-in-sprouts proportions.

The only thing investigators will say in the month-long outbreak is people should wash their hands and don’t show up to work sick.

Informative.

90 confirmed, 179 probably sick; E. coli outbreak linked to Belfast restaurant

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There are now 90 confirmed cases and 179 probable cases of E. coli O157:H7 linked to Flicks restaurant in Belfast.

This restaurant may want to review its suppliers. Or cooking practices. Or pretty much everything.

That’s a lot of sick people from one restaurant (although check out some Facebook and other comments about the kitchen from former staff; they’re not kind).

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Environmental Health Officers from Belfast City Council are continuing to investigate and have confirmed the type of E. coli O157 in cases in October is different from the type found in August cases associated with the same restaurant. These results are from a first phase of typing tests which showed the cases in August to be Type 8. The confirmed cases in October are Type 54. It is too early to draw definitive conclusions at this stage.

“It is vital that everyone follows some simple rules to prevent the spread of E. coli – not just those with symptoms, but everyone should wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food. Raw and cooked food should be kept completely separate, raw meat should be cooked through and vegetables and fruit should be washed thoroughly before eating.”  

If it was simple, so many people wouldn’t be barfing.

231 sick; 2 different E. coli outbreaks at Belfast restaurant

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BBC News reports the type of E. coli linked to a restaurant in north Belfast this month is a different strain than four cases reported there in August.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) said there are now 29 confirmed cases and 202 probable cases.

Fifteen people have been hospitalised since the start of this month’s food poisoning outbreak at Flicks restaurant in the Cityside complex.

The PHA confirmed that the type of E. coli O157 in cases in October is different from the type found in August cases associated with the same restaurant.

It said the four cases in August which were linked to this restaurant were investigated thoroughly at the time and all tests on the restaurant were negative.

Further environmental health inspections were conducted, it added, all of which were satisfactory, and enhanced surveillance to monitor for cases was also put in place.

It said the current cases came to light through that enhanced monitoring.

If that’s the case, how many cases of foodborne illness, everywhere, would be detected with enhanced surveillance?

170 now sick; E. coli outbreak linked to Belfast restaurant is ‘a major crisis’

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An E. coli outbreak linked to a Belfast restaurant has been described as “major public health crisis” by Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency (PHA).

The PHA said there are now 20 confirmed cases and 150 suspected cases of food poisoning following an investigation at Flicks restaurant at Cityside Mall.

Six people have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak, but most have since been discharged.

Dr Michael Devine from the PHA said it was NI’s worst ever E. coli outbreak. and told BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show on Tuesday that the agency was “not in anyway underestimating the scale of what we’re dealing with here.”

Eight children under the age of 14 are among the suspected cases to date, he said.

Inspections

A separate E. coli outbreak in August affected four people who ate in the same restaurant on York Street.

At the time, the PHA and Belfast City Council environmental health officers carried out an investigation and all tests on the restaurant were negative.

The owner of Flicks, Michael McAdam, said there was “no definitive evidence” in August that the four people had contracted the poisoning at his restaurant.

“I would not dream of opening the doors of a restaurant if we were doing something wrong,” he said.

“It would be commercial suicide and apart from that to endanger people would be ridiculous.”

He added that hygiene in the kitchen met the highest standards.

69 sick in E. coli outbreak linked to Belfast restaurant

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Twelve confirmed and 57 probable cases of E. coli have been linked to a restaurant in north Belfast, health authorities say.

The diners were struck down after eating at Flicks in Cityside Mall, York Street, in the last three weeks.

Management at the restaurant have voluntarily closed the premises and are co-operating with an investigation by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and environmental health officers from Belfast City Council.

The PHA has advised that anyone who ate at Flicks since September 24 and has symptoms of diarrhoea and/or abdominal pain should contact their GP urgently for medical advice.

The agency has revealed that four cases of the same E.coli O157 strain were linked to the restaurant in August. But it said subsequent tests in the restaurant at that time were negative.

Further environmental health inspections were conducted after those incidents, all of which were satisfactory.

The agency said it was examining whether the current outbreak was linked to the August instances but it was too early to confirm either way.

10 sick in E coli outbreak at Belfast restaurant

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A Belfast restaurant has voluntarily closed after an outbreak of E. coli O157.

U.TV reports 10 confirmed or suspected cases of food poisoning that have been identified are linked to Flicks in Cityside Mall at York Street in the city.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Environmental Health Officers are investigating the outbreak.

E. coli food poisoning occurs most often when undercooked beef, especially in mince, burgers and meatballs, is eaten.

The management of Flicks have voluntarily closed the premises and are cooperating with the investigation.

It’s not just undercooking; it’s cross-contamination.

Belfast pizzeria fined £1,400 over food safety

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Ciaran Kelly, who ran Kelstar Pizzeria on Shaw’s Road in west Belfast, was fined £1,400 also ordered to pay costs of £66 in relation to the 14 offences which were detected by Belfast City Council’s environmental health staff during visits between September 15, 2010 and January 6, 2011.

During the visits, the structure of the premises and some equipment was found to be dirty and in disrepair. This included holes in the walls in food preparation areas, damage to ceiling tiles, and the inside of a fridge was in a state of disrepair.

In addition, there were inadequate storage facilities for food waste resulting in an accumulation of waste to the rear of the premises.

There was no documented food safety management system in place and Mr Kelly had repeatedly failed to comply with a Hygiene Improvement Notice which had been served on him.