The number of restaurants, takeaways and food preparation sites that have scored five stars has doubled since a hygiene standards website was started last summer.

Bradford Council is co-ordinating the scores-on-the-doors website which lists all food premises inspected by Environmental Health officers, including places like schools which cook food on site or sell ready-to-eat food.

People can also use a text service if they do not have access to a computer.

The scheme, which was launched in June, uses a West Yorkshire-wide star-rating system based on inspections with five stars being the top score and no stars the worst.

When it was launched there were 175 premises with five stars.

The Council's environmental health manager David Clapham said the website had proved hugely popular with nearly half a million hits since it began.

Currently 322 premises have five stars, 589 have four stars, 492 have three stars, 183 have two stars and 162 have one star. There are 60 premises with a zero score.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for environment and culture, said: "I'm pleased to say that 70 per cent of all Council facilities have got five stars. They are mostly schools but also include the restaurant in City Hall and the restaurant at St George's Hall. I am pleased we are setting a good example."

Coun Hawkesworth said that people should look out for the certificates that are being sent out by Environmental Health. Businesses are being encouraged to display them at the entrance to their premises. It shows how many stars the premises has, which is a good indication of the hygiene.

A nursing and residential care home in Bradford has become the latest food premises to achieve the top-rating five stars for hygiene.

Mill Lodge Care Centre at Moorside Place has been catering for up to 42 residents for five years.

Staff were delighted to achieve five stars following an inspection by Bradford Council's environmental health staff at the end of November.

Manager Lynn Priest said: "We had four stars before but standards have always been high. In fact we thought then that we should have been given five stars, and now we have.

"The kitchen staff are extremely pleased and I am over the moon. It's well deserved and is a testament to all their hard work."

The Rawal Kebab House in Barkerend Road has become the latest to receive a zero star rating.

The takeaway was also inspected at the end of November, but has since improved things, according to owner Raziq Abdul Butt.

The website is also useful for those thinking about booking for their wedding receptions or big parties.

To score highly, food premises have to maintain good standards, keep the premises clean and know how to produce safe food all the time.

Low-scoring businesses have been working with officers to improve their hygiene and their star rating.

The website is at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk.

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