Selfsufficientish.com

I just read the BBC news item about restaurants not displaying a hygiene rating.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34920287

Looking at a map of restaurants and eateries in various towns shows there are actually some places with a zero rating and quite a few with a 1 or 2, meaning disgustingly filthy.
Since when have the authorities been unable to shut these places down? I'm sure they used to and I know for a fact that they do here in Ireland.
How can a "restaurant" with rat droppings about (as in the BBC report) be allowed to keep trading?

I bet they don't point this out on the English tourist board website.

I think it's along the same lines that landlords are no longer under any obligation to provide habitable accommodation for their tenants, in England. Sign of the times.

(Sorry, got a bit political there).

Politics is OK on this category "Politics, news, current affairs and anything else that you think should be here goes here"

That was my thought Maggie, if it's business then anything goes (as long as your not self employed)
Worryingly, there is no mention at all of closing rat infested restaurants in that BBC item.

I read somewhere you're never more than 7 feet away from a rat in London - or something like that. Maybe they've just given up (Env. Health not the rats).

They're only still open because they have customers. Oh and it's all a case of staff, there's time, cost, making a case for it, we'll appeal, open as another business, make a fuss in the papers ....

We've had a pub in the village change hands and everyone is shaken that it is now properly clean - used to be on the dirty side of dingy.

What's the point of inspections then? They may as well simply stop the whole hygiene inspections farce.