The former owner of a Durham city centre restaurant has been fined £6,000 after rats were found on the premises for a second time. Ahmed Sayed, 42, faced the penalty after rodents were discovered at Lebaneat on North Bailey.
At the time in June 2025, Sayed was the sole director of 47 Northbailey Limited, the company operating the restaurant. Durham County Council took legal action after a food hygiene inspection in which environmental health officers found "poor hygiene standards throughout the restaurant" and issues including "dirty sinks, cobwebs on the ceiling and grease built up in the extraction system".
Two dead rats and one live rat were also discovered in the building's cellar, where food and drink was stored.
Court hearing and penalties
At an October 28 hearing at Peterlee Magistrates' Court, Sayed pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching food safety and hygiene regulations. He has been ordered to pay a £200 fine, an £80 victim surcharge, and £1,330 costs. A fine of £4,800 was also imposed on the company 47 Northbailey Limited.
After the "rat activity" was discovered, Sayed agreed to a voluntary closure order at the premises. Two days later, environmental health officers were informed that pest control measures had taken place, but an inspection found a new dead rat in the cellar. Three days later, the business was allowed to re-open after a subsequent inspection.
History of enforcement
This is the latest setback for a business that has faced allegations of poor hygiene and poor business practices. In August, the Home Office launched a bid to remove the restaurant's alcohol licence, amid claims that staff were employed there without the correct paperwork to work in the UK. At the time, it was reported that the restaurant's operators, including Sayed, had outstanding fines exceeding £81,000 following immigration enforcement visits.
Previously, in May this year, Durham County Council reported a separate prosecution relating to food hygiene and environmental health. Magistrates imposed a £16,000 fine after hearing how a dead rat and rodent droppings were found in the restaurant's Meadowfield warehouse.
There were also found to be inadequate cleaning and risks of food contamination at the North Bailey restaurant. During that visit, inspectors were told that the operator had changed from O&A International Limited to Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited. Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited and Oksana Sayed were found guilty of two counts for the North Bailey premises, of failing to keep the premises clean and of failing to register Lebaneat (Yarm) Limited with the council.
Previously, Lebaneat had been in court in September 2024, when Adam and Amin Ltd were fined more than £28,000 after a customer suffered serious anaphylaxis at the North Bailey restaurant and its meals were found to be prepared without following proper allergen procedures. The restaurant owner was also fined £20,000 in 2019 when a suspected illegal worker was discovered in one of its restaurants.
Mark Anslow, Durham County Council's health and environmental protection manager, said: "Food businesses have a legal responsibility to maintain safe, clean premises and always comply with food hygiene regulations. Where these standards are not met, we will take robust enforcement action to protect members of the public."
"This is not the first time we have taken legal action against Lebaneat and its respective owners. Regardless of which company owns and operates any food business, the legislation is the same and the health and safety of their customers should be their priority."
