Today the Gazette reveals the list of restaurants and takeaways in Hackney that have been dubbed the dirtiest in the borough by a food watchdog in 2016.

The unlucky nine have all been given a zero rating by the council’s environmental health officers following an inspection on behalf of the Food Standards Agency.

Five stars is the highest possible rating.

All were marked according to how hygienically food is handled, including how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated and cooled.

The condition of the premises, including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities, are also taken into consideration.

In addition, the way the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe also goes towards the rating.

The zero rated restaurants in Hackney:

- Viet Grill, Kingsland Road (last inspected in November 2016)

- Foxlow Stoke Newington, Stoke Newington Church Street (November 2016)

- Il Bacio Express, Stoke Newington Church Street (August 2016)

- Mapps Café, Chapman Road (August 2016)

- Chickin Lickin, Chatsworth Road (inspected in August 2016) - UPDATE: This restaurant was inspected again and has now been given a food hygiene rating of 5/5 by the Food Standards Agency.

- Perfect Chicken & Pizza, Lower Clapton Road (July 2016)

- Tasti Pizza, Amhurst Park (July 2016)

- Stokey Bears, Stoke Newington High Street (June 2016)

- Bombay Munch, Shacklewell Lane (April 2016)

Hackney Council works with businesses where possible to improve hygiene ratings.

Cllr Caroline Selman, cabinet member for community safety and enforcement, said: “Hackney Council works hard to ensure that restaurants in the borough are serving safe and hygienic food to residents and visitors.

“We carry out regular inspections of all restaurants, and immediate inspections if alerted to poor standards through reports from the public.

“If levels of food hygiene are found to be below acceptable levels, legal action is taken to ensure that people are kept safe.

“We would like to encourage people to come forwards and report bad food hygiene practices to the council’s environmental health team in order for us to investigate and take necessary action.”