THE owners of a Chinese restaurant have been fined £11,500 after environmental health officers discovered a catalogue of filth.

Officers were appalled by the mess found during a routine visit to Kings Hill Palace, Kings Hill, Sevenoaks magistrates heard on Tuesday.

Among the general dirt and grease, they photographed cooked seaweed stored in a cardboard box previously used for raw chicken and an ice machine covered with black and pink mould and slime.

Chairman of the bench Trevor Perkins said: "We have listened to the situation and seen some pretty disgraceful photographs. There was a real risk to the health of your customers."

As well as the fine, Toto Experience Ltd, the family business which owns the restaurant and take-away, must pay £2,123 in prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Opened in Liberty Square, Kings Hill, five years ago, the restaurant is run by 27-year-old company secretary Stephen Ly, who recently took the reins from his father. He pleaded guilty to four charges:

Failing to ensure food was protected against contamination likely to render it unfit for human consumption

Failing to keep the premises clean

Two charges of failing to keep all articles, fittings and equipment cleaned or disinfected.

The court heard the charges arose from a routine visit on March 15 and a follow-up call the following day.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's senior legal officer Cliff Cochrane handed the magistrates photographs of the dirt and grease found on food preparation surfaces, the floor, walls, chillers, freezers, hot cabinets, bins, sink and oven rings.

"The premises were in a very dirty and greasy condition with a large build-up of food debris," he said.

"They had not been cleaned for some time and the staff had little idea how to clean properly and there were insufficient cleaning materials."

Food in the chillers was uncovered, containers were stacked on top of one another and dirt was flaking off the walk-in chiller shelves above open cooked ingredients.

Food was also stored in open cans and raw meat was stored next to and above cooked food.

A chopping block designated for raw meat was used for cooked battered chicken.

"This could have posed a serious risk of food contamination," said Mr Cochrane.

Officers who visited again last week found some improvement but were still concerned with some areas of dirt and poor food-handling processes.

Matt Nickolls, defending, said Ly realised things had "quite clearly fallen through the floor".

The restaurant was struggling to survive in the recession and was still paying back debts from the first two years of trading.

"It is not a rosy financial picture, as you would expect in this climate, but they are determined to move forward," he said.