Shop fined for caviar with a fishy source

A shop selling uncertified caviar has been ordered to pay nearly £5,700 by a court.

The supplier, Zaman, was inspected by Kensington and Chelsea's environmental health officers last month after a police tip-off. Nearly 10 kilos of caviar were seized as the shop had no documentation confirming the source of the fish eggs.

They were worth about £13,000 and being sold as Iranian and Russian caviar. The Iranian-run firm was prosecuted yesterday at West London magistrates' court for selling caviar of an unknown source. It was fined £2,000 and also ordered to pay the council's costs of £3,520, plus £175.50 for the destruction of the caviar.

The judge said: "These traceability requirements are in place to ensure the health of the public is kept in check."