Cafes, restaurants, schools and care homes are having their hygiene standards scored out of five to help customers choose where to eat.

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More than half of the venues rated so far have received the highest score, but six venues scored zero.

Eventually about 1,100 eligable food venues across the borough will be rated using the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which Great Yarmouth Borough Council signed up to this week replacing its own Star Award scheme.

So far, environmental health officers have visited 309 businesses.

Six scored zero - 'urgent improvement necessary'; 14 scored one - 'major improvement necessary'; 10 scored two - 'improvement necessary'; 17 scored three - 'generally satisfactory'; 110 scored four - 'good'; and 152 received the top rating of five - 'very good'.

The six venues that currently have a zero rating are: Coffee Plus in Hemsby and in Yarmouth, Lucky Star in St Peters Road, Midland Hotel in Wellesley Road, Princes Restaurant in Regent Road, Sea Chef Britannia Pier in Marine Parade and The Avenue Public House in Beatty Road.

As well as being available to view on the Food Standard Agency's website and their free phone app, the food businesses are being encouraged to display ratings, which can be updated if venues request inspections, on a distinctive green and black sticker.

The borough council said it will now work with the venues that scored two or less to improve the hygiene standards and ensure they produce safe food. If they don't, the council will take enforcement action.

Councillor Val Pettit, the borough council's cabinet member for the environment, said: 'The primary purpose of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is to enable consumers to make informed choices about the places where they eat out or shop for food and, through this, to encourage businesses to compete to improve hygiene standards.

'The borough council has a dedicated team of environmental health officers who routinely visit food businesses and give advice to ensure their environment and practices both comply with legislation and the higher standards we expect in the Great Yarmouth borough.

'The team's goal is to ensure all food is safe to eat - and I am delighted that nearly 90 per cent of premises inspected so far have scored three or more stars. However, it is very useful for customers, when choosing somewhere to eat or buy food, to be able to quickly look up hygiene ratings of any given venue, before they make a choice.

'And the fact we have joined the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme means the many visitors to Great Yarmouth each year will be able to directly compare the standards of local venues with those outside of the borough.'

Check ratings online at www.food.gov.uk/ratings or download the free Food Standard Agency app for smartphones.