A CAFE in Oxford city centre has been given the lowest food hygiene rating possible after inspectors discovered mould, scale and dirt in areas of the kitchen.

Cafe Golden Cross, based in Golden Cross Walk off Cornmarket Street, was awarded a zero rating, which means urgent improvement is necessary.

An inspector from Oxford City Council visited the cafe on June 30 and judged the establishment on three criteria: its food hygiene and safety procedures, its structural requirements and confidence in management.

The highest score is five, which means its hygiene standards are “very good”.

Cafe Golden Cross was marked down for its out-of-date records, untrained staff and poor standards of cleanliness.

Owner James Kang said he was away on holiday when the council inspector came to look around the cafe.

He said: “I was away and left the supervisor in charge but they did not control it very well. A few things were broken, like the fridge, which we have replaced. The inspector is going to come in again.”

When asked about the problems with cleanliness and whether everything would be kept clean from now on, he said “of course”.

The report from the council said the display chiller was holding milk at too high a temperature and that the ice machine had scale and mould on it.

It was also noted that the deep freezer needed to be thoroughly cleaned, as did the microwave and the fridge.

Dirty and discoloured food containers were being used to store food, which the inspector said needed to be thrown away and replaced, and there were dirty dishcloths on the worktops.

The staff at Cafe Golden Cross also did not have the required food safety in catering training, the report said. Oxford city councillor Ruthi Brandt, who covers the Carfax ward, said she had been to Cafe Golden Cross a few times, but the last time was several years ago.

She said: “Obviously food hygiene is very important. People who go to a restaurant or cafe are assuming the minimum level has been reached. That’s why inspections are important, so that you know a restaurant is up to par.

“So it’s not good if a cafe is not up to scratch, but it is good that we have the service to find that out.”