A VILLAGE pub has been praised for achieving the highest rating in a council hygiene inspection.

The Fleece Inn, at Hillesley, is only the fourth pub in the Stroud district to achieve a five star rating in the district council’s ‘scores on the doors’ scheme to recognise excellent standards of hygiene.

"It’s a fantastic achievement for a pub to get five stars," said Andrew Starling, who took over as landlord of the Fleece Inn earlier this year, after previously working as a member of staff at the pub.

"I have to say a big thank you to all the team. Awards like this just go to show how much effort they all put in.

"Only four pubs in the Stroud district have so far been awarded this accolade, so it’s a real achievement."

The aim of Stroud District Council’s ‘scores on the doors’ scheme is to give people in Gloucestershire easy access to information about food hygiene standards in local catering businesses.

The criteria used for the inspections are equipment and cleaning, food handling practices and confidence in food safety management.

The scores are used to create an easily recognised star rating system ranging from five stars, which is excellent, through to no stars, which means that major improvements are required.

Jon Beckett, head of environmental health at Stroud District Council, said: "We congratulate the Fleece Inn on becoming only the fourth pub in the district with five stars.

"The scores on the doors scheme was set up to improve hygiene standards in catering establishments by enabling the public to choose those with higher ratings.

"We urge everyone to check by visiting www.stroud.gov.uk/scores before eating out."