Press Releases
Northolt pizza take-away closed down after cockroach infestation (PR 941)
A pizza take-away was closed down for three days after it was found crawling with cockroaches by Ealing Council’s environmental health officers.
The owners of Pineapple Pizza, in Church Road Northolt, voluntarily shut the shop on Friday 15 February, to get rid of the filthy insects and scrub the kitchens from top to bottom.
It was then allowed to open again on Monday 19 February after getting the go-ahead from the council’s environmental health team.
The revolting infestation was thought to have been caused by a large amount of rubbish gathered in the yard behind the shop, believed to have come from tenants in the flats above.
The council is currently trying to track down the landlords and warn them about their tenants’ actions.
Councillor Will Brooks, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Pineapple Pizza was found in a truly shocking state and it was enough to make you sick. It posed a huge health risk to customers.
“However, the owners at least had the decency to close down when we found them and immediately clean up their act.
“We sometimes get others in just as bad a state who have the bare-faced cheek to try and argue why they should be allowed to carry on.”
The infestation at Pineapple Pizza was discovered during an Ealing Council-led anti-social behaviour and envirocrime swoop in Northolt on 13 February.
A group of around 30 council community safety and envirocrime officers, the police, DVLA and the Environment Agency carried out the work.
There were 12 abandoned vehicles and seven untaxed vehicles seized and graffiti found on the Swimarama, Northolt Station, shops in Islip Manor Estate and from garages on Racecourse estate, was all scrubbed away.
Councillor Brooks added: “These events support our priorities to keep the streets cleaner and communities safer.”
The council’s third priority is providing value for money services.