THE owner of two shops in Cliftonville has been fined after he was found to be selling out-of-date food.

Krispnnapillai Saseendran, who runs Costcutter and Spar in Northdown Road, was fined £3,465 after he was convicted of 21 offences under the Food Safety Act at Thanet Magistrates' Court on August 9.

His conviction follows a visit by Trading Standards officers following a tip-off earlier this year.

Officers found some soft cheese on sale in the shops that was 13 days beyond the Use By date.

It was not the first time Saseendran has been censured for the offence. Kent Trading Standards officers say he was cautioned after repeatedly selling old food over the last two years.

Trading Standards manager Mark Rolfe said: "Food that is past its Use By date can become unsafe to eat and to knowingly sell that food to members of the public is irresponsible and illegal. Food safety is a serious matter and this prosecution should send out a clear message that we will act on those ignoring the law."