MOULD, grease and a kitchen sink so dirty it has been brandished "uncleanable" has led to a city centre Thai restaurant being slammed by food hygiene bosses.

Bangkok House in Hythe Bridge Street was given a two-star rating when Oxford City Council inspectors visited last month.

Mouldy fridges, greasy surfaces and inappropriate storage of raw meat were all mentioned in a report issued by the council's environmental department.

A number of other bad practices were noted and improvements suggested to the restaurant's management.

Hygiene bosses revealed the kitchen sink was in such a poor condition it wasn't cleanable and ordered it to be replaced.

The inspector's report read: "There was an accumulation of grease to the side of cooking area and door seals and interior surfaces of some fridges were not clean.

"Mould was evident on the chiller fan cover - please clean.

It added: "The seal to the side of the sink is in such poor condition as is not cleanable, please remove or replace."

The Thai restaurant, which has just recently introduced home delivery service in the city, scored "poor" in the Food Hygiene and safety category but a more respectable "fair" when it came to structural compliance.

Inspectors said they had "some" confidence in management – which is based on track record and how likely staff are to turn things around.

Numerous stored items were kept near the area used to prepare raw meat and the restaurant was warned it could easily become contaminated.

A fabric cutlery drawer was also questioned by council inspectors who said it was too difficult to clean and should be upgraded or replaced.

There was no soap in the wash hand basin and staff revealed they washed their hands in the food sink which inspectors told them was "bad practice."

The report listed further improvements and cleaning requirement for the restaurant which has also recently brought in a Sunday buffet for customers.

It read: "Metal sieves were in poor condition and basket fryers beginning to deteriorate – please replace to prevent physical contamination.

"There was a timber pallet and an accumulation of debris beneath the wine fridge in the kitchen, it is not cleanable and obstructs access to cleaning, please remove as this was also specified in a previous inspection report."

The head chef or least one member of staff was ordered to undertake training to take responsibility for food checks.

Bangkok House failed to respond to a request for comment.