BLACKPOOL COUNCIL JULIAN S KEARSLEY Ms KEREKJARTO

Warning to Blackpool takeaways

TAKEAWAY owners in Blackpool were today warned they face punishment if found wrongly labelling food.

Already this month the owner of one outlet has been told to pay almost £600 after admitting falsely describing the food he was selling.

Chris's takeaway on Red Bank Road, Bispham, was visited twice on routine inspections by Blackpool Council's food control officers. It was found to be using turkey on pizzas, which were advertised as ham.

The owner was successfully prosecuted under the Food Safety Act 1990 for falsely describing food and was ordered to pay a £300 fine and £297 in costs by Blackpool magistrates.

Council food inspectors are now advising all takeaway owners to check the descriptions of food items on their menus match that on the product label after uncovering a series of wrongly labelled dishes.

These include doner kebabs, described as containing lamb, being made from beef and mechanically recovered chicken.

In other instances they have discovered cheese, used on burgers, was actually a product known as 'cheese stretch' – a mixture of cheese and flavoured vegetable fat.

All of these ingredients are perfectly legal to use, but only if they are labelled properly.

Accurate labelling is essential to protect people who may be at risk from suffering adverse reactions to certain types of food.

Coun Maxine Callow, cabinet member for regeneration and tourism which includes quality standards, said: "Leading a customer to believe they are getting something they are not is inexcusable. It is essential that people know what they are eating because of allergies and other health issues.

"Traders should be aware that if they ignore advice given during routine inspections, the council will take action in the courts to ensure consumers are not misled."

MESSAGE TO BLACKPOOL COUNCIL -

FAILING TO CLAMP DOWN ON HOOLIGAN LOUTS WHO ASSAULT INNOCENT PEOPLE IS INEXCUSABLE. IT GOES TO SHOW HOW FAR OUR LOCAL COUNCIL AND IT'S DEAD WOOD LEGACY LEADERS HAVE SLUMPED WHEN ALL THEY CAN ACT ON IS WHETHER SOMEONE HAS GOT BITS OF TURKEY ON THEIR PIZZA INSTEAD OF HAM. AS IT HAPPENS CHRIS'S KEBABS IMO IS ONE OF THE BEST TAKE-AWAYS ON THE FYLDE COAST.

THE HAM IN QUESTION ON THE PIZZA WAS TURKEY HAM BUT THE SERIOUS CRIME COMMITTED BY CHRIS'S KEBABS WAS THAT THEY FAILED TO MAKE IT COMPLETELY OBVIOUS TO THE LOCALS. THE 'OFFENCE' HAS NOW BEEN CORRECTED ON THE MENU BOARD.

DISGRACEFUL WASTE OF RESOURCES AND MONEY IN MY OPINION!

IS IT NOW TIME THE LIKES OF MAXINE CALLOW, JULIAN KEARSLEY, MARGARET KEREKJARTO AND THE REST PACKED THEIR BAGS??

Sorry if the following doesn't make much sense. I'm typing in a furious mood.

As a Blackpool resident I am appalled by the way Blackpool Borough Council deals with it's council tax payers. I have just received a letter from the council to inform me that an outstanding payment was due from last year - first I've heard of it. Not only that, Julian Kearsley decided to contact my employer (without informing me) to recover the debt out of my wages.

First thing's first. My ex wife was claiming as a single occupier of the property we both owned and because I was paying the full mortgage it was agreed that she would pay the council tax. It should therefore be obvious to the council that my ex wife was living alone in the property and should - at the very least - be 50% responsible for the outstanding balance.

I contacted the council this afternoon and requested to speak to Julian Kearsley. As I suspected, Mr Kearsley was far too busy (poss hob-nobbing with celebs or just too self important) to speak to me and I was put through to a lady called Margaret Kerekjarto.

From the outset I was not impressed with Mrs Kerekjarto's snotty attitude. I told her that the council have caused me problems with my employer - not for the first time. Her attitude was pretty much tough, you are 50% responsible for the debt so we'll take the money however we wish. I was appalled with the attitude and response and I asked why they hadn't therefore taken 50% from my ex-wife. She responded again by saying we'll get the money from whoever we wish.

I told her I wasn't happy with this and I felt it was my duty to warn other Blackpool council tax payers of the actions taken by the council if they or their ex partner fail to pay their debts. Unfortunately it would seem the council would prefer to take the money off the gentleman rather than the lady - to me this smacks of sex discrimination.

Like I said earlier, this is the second time this has happened to me in the exact same circumstances. Last time I informed the council of my ex-wife's employers but again they have failed to take part payment from her when she is living alone at the property.

I called Mrs Kerekjarto again in the last few minutes to inform her of my actions and how I felt duty bound to inform other Blackpool residents of the council approach to debt recovery. She said she takes it as a threat and will report me - which incidentally sounds like a threat in itself. Let's face it, if she was happy with the council's actions then it wouldn't be a problem.

It's offensive to think that the money taken from my wages may possibly pay towards council leader's celebrity love-ins with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Dame Kelly Holmes and the like.

See also http://blackpoolcouncil.blogspot.com where you can vote on Blackpool council's service.