Cockroaches, pest infestations and grease-covered walls: Inside the disgusting restaurants given terrible food safety ratings
- Damning photos show the shocking state of some of New Zealand's restaurants
- Authorities in country's biggest city, Auckland, in crackdown on filthy eateries
- Seven restaurants were closed and a further 11 outlets face further action
- Dead cockroaches scattered across the floors, mould and grease on counters
Dead cockroaches on the floor, grease smeared across counters and dirt caked on the bathroom walls.
These photographs show the shocking state of some of New Zealand's restaurants after officials cracked down on 18 filthy eateries.
Authorities in the country's biggest city, Auckland, have today released pictures from inside restaurants with basic hygiene issues.
Inspectors recently discovered pest infestations and poor food handling practices, shutting down seven eateries and pledging to take action against 11 more.
Auckland Council inspectors found rubbish jumbled in one establishment's storeroom
Dead cockroaches peppered the floor in the back rooms of another restaurant
In one damning photo, scummy floors and dirty tabletops could be seen in areas used for food preparation.
In another, rubbish can be seen jumbled untidily in a store room while food items were poorly stacked in a haphazard fashion in a third image.
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Dirt caked the backroom walls and floors in another picture showing evidence of poor cleaning practices.
Seven food outlets were given the worst grade (E) - which means they are immediately shut and only allowed to reopen once the council is confident their food is safe, the council says on its website.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Auckland Council for comment but a spokesperson was unable to speak due to a public holiday in New Zealand.
Unsafe food storage practices show produce stacked higgledy-piggledy including on the floor
Dirty floors and poor cleaning was a common issue among the restaurants given a fail
Auckland Council team leader food safety and health enforcement Alan Ahmu told the New Zealand Herald that restaurants are most often closed for pest control and poor cleaning practices in food preparation areas.
'In some places we saw cockroaches clearly visible throughout the food preparation areas, so they have clearly lost control of the problem,' he said.
Daily Mail Australia tried to contact all seven restaurants by telephone and email where available but was only able to make contact with Dosa Plaza, Mt Roskill, which the council gave an E grade for cleaning.
Spokeswoman Arti Dave said the restaurant had done all the required cleaning, and that the issue had been outside the restaurant and not inside.
After a second council inspection the restaurant was cleared and reopened for trade, and is waiting on a pending upgrade.
'Yes, we are open and we're very happy to be open,' she told Daily Mail Australia by telephone.
'We had another inspection and we're all good to go.'
Dirt caked the backroom walls and floors in another damning picture
India Bar and Restaurant at Ellerslie has also reopened after addressing its issues and has a new grade pending.
A further 11 outlets were dished out a lesser D grade which means the council takes enforcement action and allows them to trade while they address their issues if their food is deemed safe.
Both D and E graded restaurants must also display their certificates until they are granted a new grade.
The total of 18 censured restaurants was an improvement on last year's tally.
A total of 28 establishments were shut with an E grade and a further 42 given a D grade after inspections between January and May.
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