Where does your borough rank for the poorest food hygiene rating in the capital?

An east London borough has claimed the revolting title as the area with the dirtiest restaurants in the capital, according to a new survey.

Waltham Forest came top after analysis of thousands of food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency with 69 premises earning a big fat zero which denotes urgent improvement is required.

The study included more than 62,000 businesses across 32 London boroughs including restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, food vans, canteens and supermarkets.

Waltham Forest tops the list as London’s least hygienic borough for food with 13.2 per cent of its businesses gaining a rating of 2.

In March, Waltham Forest Council were forced to shut down three businesses, including a Chinese and a curry house.

Mouse droppings, rats and a dead pigeon were discovered in areas where food was made.

At the time Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “This sends a very clear signal to that small minority of food businesses which think they can flout the law.

“Rodent infestations and general poor hygiene can put people’s health at risk – it is simply not acceptable, not now or ever.

“We want residents in Waltham Forest to be able to order their food with confidence that it has been prepared in a safe and clean environment.”

Newham was revealed as London’s second least hygienic borough when it comes to food, with 11.8 per cent of businesses requiring at least some improvement in their handling and preparation of food.

Ealing was named the third least hygienic London borough where 10.8 per cent of businesses received a rating of 2 or below from the Food Standards Agency.

On the other end of the scale, Kensington and Chelsea came in as the cleanest borough for food.

As many as 82.2 per cent of its businesses received the highest possible rating of 5 which means hygiene standards are very good.

Just 15 businesses in the borough had a rating of 2 or lower, meaning only 0.93 per cent needed improvement.

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for Maxima Kitchen Equipment said: “There are an estimated 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness every year in the UK, so hygiene is a crucial factor when considering where to eat or shop for food.

“In London, the majority of businesses are well rated when it comes to hygiene, but some areas definitely have room for improvement.”