One of the Sutton's filthiest food shops has been fined £38,000 for failing to meet hygiene standards.

Inspectors who visited Cheam Food Centre in London Road, North Cheam, found splashes of animal blood on the floor and bakery equipment that "had not been cleared in some time".

Umut Food Centre, the company that owns the shop, was fined on Thursday after admitting six counts of of failure to comply with food safety regulations, two contraventions of health and safety regulation, and a charge of using animal by-products for an unauthorised purpose in March.

RELATED: Cheam food shop rated zero for food hygiene again

RELATED: Cheam supermarket named as one of country's 'dirtiest'

Sutton Council began launch action after inspecting Cheam Food Centre in July 2014 and again in August last year. 

On both occasions inspectors found the hygiene standards so dire they rated the store zero out of five - classified by the Food Standards Agency as "urgent improvement necessary".

Prosecutor Peter Rollins told Croydon Magistrates' Court on Thursday: “There was no hot running water in the staff toilet, which also suffered from poor cleanliness. 

"There were blood splashings from meat on the floor surface that had not been cleaned and there was no anti-bacterial hand wash.

“Within the bakery there was a poor standard of cleanliness, with flour deposits, food deposits and dirt in the area.

"The dough mixer had food debris all over it and had not been cleaned in some time. The mixer also had a spoke missing in the bowl, which meant a hand could enter the mixer."

Inspectors also found shop staff cooked pizza, sausages and sausages at an excessive temperature that "promote harmful bacterial growth," added Mr Rollins.

Cheam Food Centre was ordered to improve by the council following the July 2014. It also benefitted from a £2.4m regeneration project, which aimed to breathe new life into the parade between Courtenay Avenue and Lavender Road with new signs, shop fronts and improved lighting.

After being rated zero again following the 2015 re-inspection, store manager Peter Druhus told the Sutton Guardian: "We were in the middle of expanding our shop, which will have affected our rating.

"We are changing everything in the shop from the signs to new refrigerators so when we finish it is going to look completely different."

District Judge Andrew Sweet, sentencing the store, told owner Veli Gencer: "I have taken into account that you improved the property to some considerable expense to yourself.

"But I have to take into account of the aggravating factor that there were failings in health and safety as well as hygiene that posed a risk to customers, as well as your staff.

"This was more than taking your eyes off the ball, this was a case of neglecting your duties."