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A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the owner of an unhygienic mobile fast food unit which was ‘an imminent risk’ to the health of people at the Download festival.

Daniel Donovan was one of the traders who attended the event to help feed some 70,000 hungry rock fans.

However environmental health officials found a string of unpleasant issues when the inspected The Taco Shed.

They found that the unit was an imminent risk to public health.

The Taco Shed was discovered to have insufficient facilities to maintain personal hygiene in terms of hand washing.

Donovan failed to keep cooked chicken and pork at a heat of 63 degrees – required to keep it safe to eat.

It was also established he was not keeping rice at the temperature necessary to prevent food poisoning.

He did not have sufficient disinfectant for cleaning cooking utensils and failed to keep the Taco Shed clean and maintained in good repair to avoid the risk of contamination by animals and pests.

Donovan was due at Leicester Magistrates Court this this morning to face nine food hygiene charges brought by environmental health officials at North West Leicestershire District Council.

The prosecution follows an inspection of The Taco Shed which Donovan set up in the main arena of the Castle Donington rock festival in 2018.

Donovan, of Southlands Way, Congresbury near Bristol, did not attend the hearing so magistrates found the charges proven in his absence and issued a warrant for his arrest.

Louise Arnold, representing North West Leicestershire District Council, told the court contractors who were asked to arrange catering for festival goers raised concerns about the state of Donovan’s unit when it arrived at to trade in the main Download arena area on June 8.

The contractors approached the council with concerns about the state of the Taco Shed and after it was inspected by the council Donovan agreed to voluntarily shut down before he was forced to do so.

Magistrates winced

Magistrates winced as they were shown pictures of the state inside the Taco Shed which showed the pork, chicken, rice and sour cream that was being served.

However there is no indication anyone actually fell ill as a result of eating food sold by the unit.

Mrs Arnold said Donovan had been contacted at six different addresses he has advising him of the court case.

She said: “Mr Donovan is being chased by a number of other authorities for various issues.

"A lot of local authorities will be very pleased if you issue a warrant and bring him to court.”

He will be sentenced when he is brought to court for the offences, which magistrates stressed were serious.