Restaurants with poor hygiene are being trained by Enfield Council health officers in a bid to bring them up to scratch.

The council is working with ten restaurants which all received a low rating of zero or one out of five during their latest hygiene inspection ratings.

Since the coaching started, six of the ten premises have improved their star ratings and Lucky Star restaurant in Hertford Road has even increased its rating from one to a five.

According to the cabinet member for environment, councillor Chris Bond, many owners of the restaurants may want to run clean and hygienic restaurants but struggle to know how to do so.

He said: "We have very high expectations of the operators of food premises in Enfield and we will take appropriate action against any food premises which is unwilling or unable to operate clean and hygienic premises.

"We do know however that there are owners of food premises in this borough who want to run well managed, clean and effective premises, but may not have the know how to do so."

He said in these cases, it is important to work with the restaurants by giving them "information and guidance" about how to operate properly.

He added: "Our ultimate aim is to improve standards of hygiene and protect residents from harm and this scheme does both of those things."

Environmental health officers will be paying regular visits to the worst rated restaurants as well as offering coaching, sampling and advice sessions in a bid to teach the importance of hygiene.

As from last month, restaurants, cafés and takeaways in the borough are given a simple zero to five hygiene rating on the Food Standards Agency website.

Officers will work with ten restaurants at a time over the coming months.

The Enfield Independent exposed a Thai restaurant in Hertford Road which was closed down last Thursday due to a mouse infestation.