£20,000 fine for Lancaster food business after food and health and safety breaches
A Lancaster restaurant has been fined £20,000 for failing to guard access to dangerous machinery and for allowing foul water to run down a path to residents’ homes.
Lancaster City Council environmental health officers visited Burgshake Restaurants after they were alerted to reports that a protective guard was missing from the rotating blade of an external extraction fan – which posed an injury risk.
Officers also identified that the business was discharging foul water directly onto a side access path regularly used by students to reach their accommodation.
The business on St Leonardsgate in the city was served a Prohibition Notice to stop the fan being used, issued an improvement notice requiring the fan to be made safe and the drainage issues to be rectified to protect the health of the public.
On October 14, at Lancaster Magistrates Court, the company pleaded guilty to one health and safety offence, one food safety and hygiene offence, and two counts of failing to comply with improvement notices.
The court ordered it to pay £20,000 fine and ordered the company to pay costs of £2,723.44 and a victim surcharge of £2,000, which it was ordered to be paid at the rate of £400 per month.
Councillor Paul Hart, Lancaster City Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “Public safety is non‑negotiable. Not adhering to health and safety regulations is unacceptable and puts our community at risk.
“Our officers gave the business every opportunity to put things right, but when the necessary improvements were not made, we took enforcement action.
“The size of the fine imposed by the courts reflects the seriousness of the offences.
“Protecting residents and visitors and ensuring businesses meet their legal duties is a key task of our environmental health team.”
Any residents who are concerned about health and safety or food regulations at a food premises can contact the council’s food safety team by emailing environmentalhealth@lancaster.gov.uk
Last updated: 21 October 2025