A bakery with shops across Gloucestershire has been slapped with a fine after mouldy food was discovered by inspectors.

Hall's Quality Bakers must pay £6,400 in fines and costs after admitting breaching food safety management legislation.

Mouldy food was found by Stroud District Council food safety inspectors during a routine check-up at Woodchester manufacturing bakery J.Hall & Sons (Bakers) Ltd in January.

The company, which has shops in Stroud, Nailsworth, Tetbury, Cirencester and Swindon, was previously served it with a Hygiene Improvement Notice in February 2018.

When inspectors visited in January and opened the walk-in fridge they discovered extensive mould growth on numerous items of food, one of which was almost three months out of date.

Items with mould on them included cartons of cream, tins of fruit, egg yolk and a tub labelled sourdough starter.

At Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on September 23 Mr Timothy Hall, on behalf of J.Hall & Sons (Bakers) Ltd, pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to properly implement the company’s food safety management system.

He was fined a total of £3,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and to pay Stroud District Council’s full costs of £3,233.25.

After the hearing, Jon Beckett, head of health and wellbeing at Stroud District Council said it will work with food businesses to ensure the highest standards, but will take legal action if necessary to protect the public.

“Food inspectors always act quickly to ensure that poor standards of food hygiene are dealt with and most businesses respond well,” he said.

“However, it is occasionally necessary to take legal action to deal with the worst cases and appropriate measures were taken in this case to ensure future compliance.”

Hall's declined to comment.