Richard Maley, who was a director of The Double R Pub Company Ltd, which operated The George and Dragon pub in Alrewas until 2017, was prosecuted by Lichfield District Council following the February 2016 inspection.

Officers found meat pies and tomatoes with significant mold on the surface as well as a baked apple containing a non-food wood chisel.

There was an uncovered pork roast stored unrefrigerated on a tray next to tools and paint, tubs of partially cooked unrefrigerated bacon and sausages, and a cooked pork roast stored unrefrigerated under an air conditioning unit which was dirty.

Inspectors also found two uncovered cooked meat pies, an uncovered pot of cooked chicken, leaked ham and garnish, a covered pot of gravy and a covered pot of stored diced sausages and bacon, not chilled, next to a DIY waste box on dirty stairs.

The storage room floor had an accumulation of dirt and food debris, there was peeling paint, mold and food material on its walls, the power sockets and doors were very dirty and the walls and floor of the kitchen were stained with grease.

Equipment used to store and cook food turned out to be dirty. The fridge in the store room was not working and the shelves and base inside were stained with grease and food debris and were rusty.

The case against Maley, of Dyke Road, Rugeley, was due to be heard in 2017, but he failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He finally faced charges last month in Newcastle under Lyme Magistrates’ Court, after he was found and arrested in South Wales.

Maley admitted putting food on the market that was unsafe and failing to ensure that raw materials and ingredients were stored in appropriate conditions to prevent harmful spoilage and protect them from contamination.

He also admitted to failing to ensure that the premises were kept clean, well maintained and in good repair and to failing to ensure that all items, fixtures and equipment with which the food came into contact were effectively cleaned and disinfected.

Maley, who has not been involved in the pub since 2017, was fined £1,280, ordered to pay £1,800 in court costs and a victim fine surcharge of £32.

Speaking after the case, Councilor Angela Lax, cabinet member of the Lichfield District Council for Regulation, Housing and Health, said: ‘We take this type of offense very seriously.

“Food business operators who fail to comply with safety and hygiene standards must be held accountable for their actions.

“The case against Mr Maley should have been heard in 2017 but the defendant did not attend the hearing.

“His food safety breaches posed a high risk of harm to the public and although Mr Maley is no longer associated with the premises, we were determined to follow through with the enforcement given the seriousness of the breaches.

“The current food business operator on the premises, which has been in place since 2018, has a food hygiene rating of five – very good.

“We are happy that the premises have been well managed since our intervention.