A DESSERT shop in Kidderminster has closed for refurbishment after being given the lowest possible food hygiene inspection rating.

Delicious Desserts, in New Road, received a zero out of five rating following an inspection by Worcestershire Regulatory Services in January.

Wyre Forest District Council said it was unable to release the full inspection report at this stage, but said in a statement: "Worcestershire Regulatory Service officers carried out a routine food hygiene inspection at Delicious Desserts on January 13.

"The premises were found to be in very poor condition and the business was given a Food Hygiene Rating Scheme rating of zero - the lowest possible.

"They are currently working with the owner to ensure urgent improvements are made.

"Hygiene Improvement Notices have been served to ensure compliance."

In the hygienic food handling category, inspectors stated improvement was necessary; for cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, "major" improvement was necessary; in the management of food safety, "urgent" improvement was necessary.

Dessert shop owner Syed Ahmad told The Shuttle that the inspection came at a "bad time" during a refurbishment, and said the low rating was a result of the premises not being up to scratch, rather than a reflection of the food quality.

Mr Ahmad said: "They came in while the shop was being refurbished when everything was a mess. We were just about to close.

"We're slowly fixing up the shop as we didn't have much money to begin with. We're having to redo all of the electrics.

"There are quite a lot of things that weren't done under the previous owners that I thought had been completed.

"The electrics weren't up to standard, which was a very big concern for the inspector.

"The concerns were more about the management system that was in place, for example we should have been writing down allergens. The place itself wasn't up to standard.

"I didn't know what I should have been doing and I didn't do my due diligence. I should have contacted them sooner."

Mr Ahmad said workers have been in all week refurbishing the shop and a follow-up inspection has already been paid for.

He added: "By the end of this week, we hope to have been re-evaluated by the health services and hopefully we'll get a five-star rating."