The owner of two Korean restaurants has claimed she was forced to put her businesses up for rent after she was ordered to pay almost £8,000 for "persistently" ignoring food hygiene warnings.

Sooryun Kim, who ran the Jin-Mi restaurants in Kingston Road and High Street, New Malden, admitted four food hygiene-related charges at a court hearing this week.

She was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £4,864.74 plus a £75 surcharge at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on August 15.

This followed on from Kingston Council’s food hygiene inspectors visiting her two takeaways last year.

Mrs Kim was previously taken to court in 2013 for similar hygiene failings, and as a result, she had agreed to have no involvement in the running of the businesses.

Councillor Cathy Roberts, cabinet member for environmental health, said: "This business was prosecuted previously, yet the owner persisted in failing to cool foods, properly train her staff or implement a proper food safety system.

"Our environmental health officers are here to protect residents and ensure there is a level playing field for all the businesses in the borough to carry out their trade.

"When one business ignores basic standards and puts residents and visitors to the borough at risk it is our duty to make sure they are brought to account."

When the Surrey Comet phoned a Jin-Me restaurant in High Street it was told it was not open for service.

Mrs Kim said: "The restaurant is being lent out. I have nothing to do with the business now."