Catalogue of hygiene horrors uncovered at Birmingham’s crime-linked ‘Bob Shops’

Two ‘Bob Shops’ were ordered to take urgent action on more than 80 issues after inspectors found a catalogue of food hygiene breaches. 

The convenience stores in the West Midlands had already drawn attention from the authorities over their suspected links to criminal gangs.

Two of the premises can now be shown to have received damning food hygiene reports in documents released by Birmingham City Council. 

Bob Shop 9, which is adorned with flashing lights, Afghan flags and soft toys outside the entrance, was told to ‘remove mouse droppings’ from a rear storeroom, to stop using paint brushes in food prep and to ‘store prayer mats off food contact surfaces and away from food.’

Another of the more than 50 action points issued to the store, in Lozells, Birmingham, reads: ‘Do not use bin bags to cover naan dough.’ 

Food and drink should not be kept in the toilet lobby while damaged naan bread dough containers ‘cannot be effectively cleaned and pose a physical contamination risk’, according to the inspector’s letter. 

A number of items were found to be ‘well past’ their use-by date.

The owners were ordered to provide allergen information and immediately remove ‘non-compliant’ food products without ingredient lists.

The inspector also found individually wrapped chocolates that had been removed from their original packaging. The store was told to ‘cease’ selling the confectionary if it did not have allergen information on display.

Bob Shop 1, a short distance across the city in Alum Rock, was given a similar list of more than 30 steps needed to protect customers. 

They included providing a wash hand basin with hot and cold running water and liquid soap in a staff toilet, sealing bare wood and plaster surfaces, replacing broken tiling and providing allergen information.

The business was issued with an ‘allergen statement of non-compliance’, meaning it could not serve customers with food allergies. 

The owners were also pulled up on health and safety issues, with Bob Shop 1 given a legal notice to stop using a dough mixer until it was made safe with an ‘interlocked guard’, and to cease using non-waterproof electric cabling and a junction box on an external canopy. 

The store was sent the schedule of works in September last year — around a month before the premises was engulfed in flames due to what firefighters described as an electrical fault. 

Bob Shop 1 was given a 0-star food-hygiene rating, requiring ‘urgent’ action, while the other store was given a single star, meaning ‘major improvement necessary’. Both listings were live on the Food Standards Agency’s website as of today.  

Bob Shops, which typically have LED lights, Afghan flags and displays of drinks and cheap children’s toys outside, were said to be a ‘front for money laundering by organised crime gangs’ at a court hearing in August.

At the time, 15 of the convenience stores across the West Midlands were understood to have been prosecuted or to be under investigation following Operation Target, a joint investigation by police, Trading Standards and immigration enforcement.  

In January 2024, West Midlands Police executed a series of warrants at Bob Shops and seized cash and two cars from a home.

A black Lamborghini with the words ‘BOB’ at the end of the license plate was one of the high end vehicles taken away.  

Fifteen arrests were made during the raids.

Asif Khan, 33, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, was later convicted for selling hundreds of illicit products at Bob Shop 6 in Sparkbrook. 

Khan, from Handsworth, admitted three trade mark offences, four breaches of tobacco regulations, two consumer protection charges and a further charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

He maintained that he did not know that the items seized from the store were illegal, BirminghamLive reported. Khan was sentenced to 16 months, suspended for 18 months, at Birmingham Crown Court on August 11.  

Judge Dean Kershaw said: ‘It does not take a judge in a crown court to tell the public what they know is really going on with Bob Shops.

‘It’s obvious. Everybody knows what’s going on.

‘Certainly those that the courts have dealt with and those under investigation, the vast majority are fronts for money laundering.’ 

Metro has attempted to contact the Bob Shops for comment.  

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk

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