The owner of a Norwich hot dog stand known for doing a roaring trade during Norwich City matchdays at Carrow Road has received a zero in his food hygiene rating.

JD's Hot Dogs, of Albion Way, Norwich, which does business out of a small cart based on a footpath at Riverside Retail Park, received the rating on April 26 even though the inspector gave the stand a 20 out of 20 in the Confidence in Management and Hygiene categories, and a 15 in the Structural category.

Its overall rating of zero meant its owner had to go on a food safety course mandated by Norwich City Council.

The owner of JD's Hot Dogs said that the rating came as a result of him using rubber gloves, rather than tongs, to handle the food.

He said: 'She (the food hygiene inspector) asked me to use tongs and not my blue gloves to handle the food, so that's what I have done.'

'Before they came to see me they never said anything, so I thought the way I was doing it was right - but when she came she said she wanted me to do it differently.'

'I went on the course and did everything she wanted me to do, and that's all I can do.'

The Foods Standards Agency says all types of business that handle raw food are at risk of cross-contaminating their produce and advise that tongs are cleaned between handling different foods.

The rating comes after takeaway shops Hot Grill Kebabs And Pizza on Bishop Bridge Road and Mr Pizza on Portersfield Road were both given the zero rating by inspectors.

According to the Food Standards Agency, a score of zero means businesses need 'urgent improvement' and tend to be performing poorly in the three areas of food safety officers inspect.

In May, the manager of Norwich takeaway Mega Munch then had to pay £3,600 after a string of food hygiene and safety breaches, including obstructing an inspector investigating his premises and telling his staff to hinder the officer's path and clean up during an inspection.

Prosecutor Richard Essex, for the city council, said food debris was found on a pizza dough roller, which was still there on a follow-up inspection the next day and cabbage was being stored in a carrier bag. The controls of a bowl mixer were damaged, with repairs attempted with tape.