Three restaurants and a top nightclub in central London are shut after inspectors find cockroach eggs, rodent droppings, maggots and decomposing mice

Three restaurants and a top nightclub in central London have been shut after inspectors found a catalogue of food hygiene failings.

Hygiene officers visiting the eating places made grim discoveries including cockroach eggs, rodent droppings, maggots and decomposing mice in the restaurants in and around Covent Garden.

One of the restaurants, which boasts of supplying Harrods with Asian cuisine, was forced to close after hygiene inspectors found mice droppings in its kitchens.

Mouse droppings were found on surfaces at Sitaaray, a restaurant in Covent Garden.

Also an "extensive" mouse infestation was found in the nightclub Tamarai.

The two venues, operated by Tamarai Ltd, share split-level premises in Drury Lane.

Sitaaray, was ordered to pay full costs of £1,747 to Camden council and the nightclub was ordered to pay £2,180, following the health inspector visits on September 7th and 8th.

Both of the venues were closed on the spot and served with hygiene prohibition orders which forced them to remain shut until work was completed to remove the infestations.

There is no suggestion Harrods breached any hygiene rules. A spokeswoman for its food hall said: “We do not stock them any more. The concession ended on October 22 and will be replaced by another provider.

“Tamarai no longer trade in Harrods as they would simply like to concentrate on developing their flagship business.”

A wider crackdown on hygiene in the area has seen a kebab shop in High Holborn and an Indian restaurant in the Euston area also closed.

Kings Kebab in Kingsway, which was closed on September 26, after inspectors found decomposing mice on home-made traps, maggots and cockroach eggs on oil containers.

Abdul Hai, the council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: “We know how popular Camden is as a destination for nightlife and entertainment and we will make sure that eating and drinking in Camden continues to be an enjoyable and safe experience by working proactively with our food business to help them get it right for their customers.”