A primary school breakfast club was one of a host of eateries in Epsom, Ewell, Leatherhead, Banstead and Ashtead which have been told to make major improvements to hygiene standards.

To see the full list click on the gallery above. The ratings were accurate at the time of publication but to see updated ratings visit ratings.food.gov.uk

Epsom Primary School’s ‘extended childcare’ breakfast club was given a one-star rating as recently as December 2015, meaning the school was told to immediately improve cleanliness or face closure.

But the school said it had taken on the advice of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and is hopeful it will receive a rating of five at the next inspection.

A school spokesman said: “Epsom Primary and Nursery School would like to reassure their families that the main school kitchen has a food hygiene rating of five, this report only refers to the extended care.

“We welcome the advice, we have actioned that advice and are confident that when the inspector returns we will receive a five-star rating in line with the rest of our school kitchen inspections.”

Twelve businesses in the area – a golf club, six takeaways, four restaurants and a pub – were given a rating of zero in the last inspection.

The FSA tells such establishments they have to make ‘urgent improvements’.

Pizza House takeaway in Kingston Road, Ewell, was given a zero rating in February last year, but owner Tarek El-Sulieman said after the inspection the restaurant closed for two weeks to bring it up to standard.

He said: “We were told the rating had nothing to do with our food – we had to make a lot of changes to our equipment.

“Basically we had to buy a new freezer – and clean the sinks – and we also had to replace the ceiling tiles and remove the decorations we had up.

“But that’s all sorted now and we’re confident we’ll be up to scratch once again.”

A total of 28 businesses were given a one-star rating, including Mingo’s Fish Bar in Kingston Road, Ewell.

However the fish restaurant's ownersaid it had received a four-star rating for the previous three years before September 2015, when it was downgraded to a one.

However a spokesman also said it was hard for the independent businesses like Mingo’s to keep up with the big chain eateries like McDonald’s and Starbucks.

A spokesman said: “For all those years we had a four-star rating and then out of the blue they give us a one.

“People can see our sticker in the window but they still come in because we do our best to be a good local restaurant.”

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said: “Our inspections and enforcement ensure that underperforming premises are identified, helping to protect public health.

“Businesses with low ratings are in danger of losing customers.

“This council would welcome the display of the food hygiene rating certificate being made mandatory.”

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