Sign up for our Crime and Punishment Newsletter The inside stories on the latest court stories from Wales Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Health inspectors found more than 100 packs of food and snacks past their best before date – or without any date at all – when they swooped on a corner shop.

Many of the items, including breakfast cereals, crisps, sauces, and instant custard, were months out of date – with jars of parsley almost a decade out of date.

The owner of the shop has been given a community order after appearing in court and been ordered to pay £2,000 towards prosecution costs.

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard council inspectors visited the city’s Mayhill Superstore in November 2018.

Craig Davies, prosecuting for Swansea council, said when officers began to examine the dates on a range of products they found scores of old items still for sale while other packets did not have best before dates at all.

Among the items affected were packs of Honey Monster Wheat Puffs, Weetabix, Happy Shopper toffee popcorn, Golden Wonder crisps, Bird’s instant custard, Space Raiders snacks, Colman’s sauces, Doritos tortilla chips, and Pot Noodles. Inspectors also found jars of parsley which were 10 years out of date.

The court heard the owner of the Mayhill store, 50-year-old Balwinder Kaur Milner, was also unable to provide details of where she had been buying stock for the shop.

(Image: Google)

Milner, of Chantal Avenue, Pen-y-fai, Bridgend, had previously pleaded guilty to 40 offences under the Food Safety Act and General Food Regulations when she appeared before the district judge for sentencing. The court heard she had a conviction from 2016 for similar offences.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

James McKenna, for Milner, said his client had been devoting her time to caring for a family member and had “clearly let the business slip”. He said the shop was no longer trading and the defendant “wants to put this matter behind her”.

District judge Neale Thomas said the offences were too serious to be dealt with by a financial penalty, adding it was clear Milner had learned nothing from her earlier conviction.

He sentenced her to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation course and ordered her to complete 60 hours of unpaid work. Milner must also pay £2,000 to Swansea council as a contribution to the cost of prosecuting the case.