A takeaway owner has been charged more than £7,500 for topping a chicken kebab special with a three-inch drill bit.

The DIY meal was dished up in July 2013 after a customer placed an order on website Just Eat with Pizza Top/Top Kebab, a takeaway in High Street, Hornchurch, owned by Nehmatullah Jamalzadah.

But he bit off more than he could chew when he came across the metal tool while eating it. Luckily, he managed to avoid swallowing it or damaging his teeth, and complained to the online takeaway company.

Just Eat attempted to contact Pizza Top but after failed attempts the customer was told to call back later. It was then that he contacted Havering environmental health officers.

The council visited the premises and found repair works had taken place and the premises were in a mess with electrical equipment, screw drivers, decorating materials and other equipment that had not been cleared away.

Screws and other drill bits were found in a drawer near to clean containers which would be used for food orders.

Appearing at Romford Magistrates’ Court on December 22, Jamalzadah of High Street, Hornchurch, was billed £7,726 for breaking section 14 of the food safety act 1990: selling food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded.

Cllr Osman Dervish, cabinet member for regulatory services, said: “While on this occasion the customer did not come to any harm, this is a very serious breach of the law, which we will not tolerate.

“We take food safety seriously and will take action when necessary. The owner of this takeaway had a responsibility to keep customers safe while the building work was carried out and this was clearly ignored.”

Jamalzadah was given 28 days to pay his £6,000 fine and £1,556 in court costs. He must also pay a £120 victim surcharge and £50 compensation to the customer.