Operators of the restaurant chain Lebaneat have been fined more than £16,000 following a court appearance at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on 7 May 2026. Durham County Council brought the prosecution after identifying severe hygiene and licensing breaches at the company’s local restaurant and warehouse.
Environmental health officers discovered a range of health risks at the Lebaneat premises on North Bailey and a warehouse in Meadowfield. Inspections revealed inadequate cleaning, a dead rat, and signs of rodent droppings, which officials noted created an immediate risk to public health. Both locations were closed voluntarily while the business carried out necessary repairs.
In addition to hygiene issues, licensing checks at the North Bailey restaurant found that staff training records had not been logged for two years. Further investigations alongside the Home Office confirmed that two staff members were working at the restaurant without the legal right to do so in the UK.
The companies involved, Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited and O&A International Limited, were each ordered to pay a £4,800 fine, a £1,920 victim surcharge, and £850 in costs. Director Oksana Sayed was ordered to pay an additional £832 fine and £332 victim surcharge, totalling £1,164. The business has a history of regulatory issues, including a £20,000 fine in 2019 for illegal staffing and a £28,000 fine in September 2024 for allergen safety breaches.
Mark Anslow, Durham County Council’s health and environmental protection manager, said: “Food businesses have a legal responsibility to maintain safe, clean premises and to always comply with food hygiene and licensing requirements. Where these standards are not met, we will take robust enforcement action to protect members of the public.”
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