A Wickford-based bakery has been fined more than £16,000 for breaching food hygiene regulations.

Alexander's Bakery in the town centre's Willowdale Centre was prosecuted by Basildon District Council's Environmental Health department after a series of routine inspections from November 1999 onwards.

The council's inspections found serious breaches of food hygiene regulations which owner Gavin Alexander failed to rectify by May 2000.

Alexander pleaded guilty at Basildon Magistrates' Court to 10 offences and was fined £1,650.

The company pleaded guilty to 11 offences and was fined £16,750, while Basildon Council received £2,853 costs.

Among the offences were four counts of having dirty premises, a lack of food hygiene training and failure to register the premises.

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