The manager of a bakery with shops across Gloucestershire has apologised after mouldy food was found by inspectors.

Halls Quality Bakers were fined £6,400 after admitting breaching food safety management legislation.

The company, based on the Inchbrook Trading Estate near Woodchester, has shops in Stroud, Nailsworth, Tetbury, Cirencester and Swindon.

Stroud District Council food safety inspectors made the discovery in January.

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.

Managing director John Hall said that none of the mouldy produce 'would ever have been used in food production in this bakery'.

The mouldy food included cream used for a one off order, a tin of apple used as a trial and a bun glaze which has been discontinued.

He also claimed Hall's has a SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) certificate and is regularly audited on behalf of companies it supplies to, without every having had problems in the past.

In a statement Mr Hall said: "The directors and staff are sincerely sorry about this isolated incident which happened in January 2019.

"Moving forward we have put further controls into place.

"We feel we need to assure our customers, friends and Stroud District Council that we have learnt a lot from this unfortunate experience and treat it with great seriousness.

"We hope our customers can feel they can trust our business going forward.

"If anyone has any concerns please call 01453 833321 and ask for John, Tim or Richard or email tim@hallsbakery.plus.com"