BOSSES at a Stourbridge hotel have been fined more than £30,000 after admitting a string of hygiene offences.

Environment officers from Dudley Council visited the Talbot Hotel in October, after a visitor claimed they had spotted a rat in the bar area.

The court heard the firm had inadequate pest control and did not have a system in place to protect food from contamination.

They were also accused of failing to maintain hand washing materials and not  keeping equipment, walls and work surfaces clean.

The business was immediately closed down while staff addressed all the problems, and was allowed to reopen later the same month.

It followed a routine visit to the premises in September 2011 which also found hygiene issues which needed to be addressed by staff.

Maia Hotels, the company behind the hotel pleaded guilty to 10 offences at Dudley Magistrates Court on Thursday (December 12).

Magistrates fined the Chipping Norton based company £2,750 for each of the offences and ordered them to pay court costs of £2,461.

They were also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

Linda Silva, company director, told the News: "As a company we do take health and safety very seriously. The only thing we can do is apologise for what happened. Since then we have taken great measures both with the structure of the building and in regard to health and safety matters."

She added that the company was taking advice from an external health and safety company to "ensure this does not happen again".

Councillor Stuart Turner, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We work hard to protect people when visiting food establishments and prosecute businesses who break the law.

“I hope this court case sends out a clear message that we will work with firms to remind them of their obligation to maintain hygiene standards, but ultimately take action through the courts to protect the public.”