A shopkeeper has been fined after rotting meat was discovered in a neighbour's garden and moulding cake seen on display in his Oxford store.

Environmental health officers went to the Pak Halal Centre, in Cowley Road, below, following complaints about "stinking" meat and out-of-date food.

They found black bin bags containing waste meat from the shop, run by Alias Hussain, in a neighbouring garden and other bags in alleyways leading to nearby restaurants and bars.

Inside, officers found three packets of cake almost three months past their sell-by date, beef and turkey salami a month out of date, and packets of sliced chicken which should have been removed from the shelves 10 days earlier.

Oxford Magistrates' Court was told by Oxford City Council's environmental health team that one of the cakes was so mouldy it had turned green.

The food was seized and Hussain, 34, whose address was given as the shop at 232 Cowley Road, was ordered to attend the court, but he failed to appear.

He was arrested and police officers accompanied him to court, where he admitted one charge of contravention of the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 and the Food Safety Act 1990 by having food unfit for sale.

Hussain was fined £700.

He has been allowed to continue trading, but city council spokesman Louisa Dean said his premises would be regularly monitored.

She said: "We are pleased with the prosecution.

"This makes other traders aware that we will take this course of action if we need to."

Pak Halal Centre sells a range of meats and spices, as well as fruit and vegetables on pavement stands.

A customer browsing produce outside the store yesterday was surprised to hear Hussain had been fined.

Student Marcus Jacob, 22, who lives in Cowley Road, said: "The store looks quite clean compared to some others, so I wouldn't expect this, but it's pretty grim about the meat.

"I don't think the fine is that much considering, it probably should've been harsher."

When approached by the Oxford Mail yesterday, a man claiming to be Mr Hussain's son said his father did not want to comment.

Two weeks ago, the Oxford Mail reported that the Ocean and Collins bar, in Park End Street, Oxford, was under investigation after an environmental health officer found three beetles in wet rice during a routine check.

The rice is being analysed and the bar could face up to a £5,000 fine.