THORNBURY butcher Malcolm Longman is to go before a judge at Bristol Crown Court to be punished for serious hygiene offences which jeopardised public health.

The 57-year-old shopkeeper - proprietor of DW Pearce, butchers, on The Plain - was caught selling mouldy meat pies and displaying cooked products dangerously close to raw meat - risking a potential food poisoning outbreak.

North Avon magistrates heard that council food safety officers made frequent visits to the premises over a five month period including the busy run-up to Christmas and found numerous hygiene infringements, including evidence of smoking in food preparation areas.

Longman pleaded guilty to a total 34 charges brought by South Gloucestershire Council - half of them for selling pies past their use-by date.

Committing him for sentence at the crown court, magistrates' chairman Richard Illingworth told him: "These matters are so serious that we feel you should receive a greater punishment than can be imposed by this court.

"The offences were committed despite repeated visits from the council. They were of such a serious nature that they could have led to serious damage to public health."

In addition to the 17 matters of selling ready-to-eat products past their sell-by date, Longman also admitted seven offences of failing to ensure personal cleanliness of staff, three of selling pies contaminated by mould and seven of trading without a butcher's licence.

The court heard that officers made frequent visits to the shop between last October and March this year but found little if any improvement in conditions.

Dawn Leamon, prosecuting said: "Meat pies, faggots and black puddings were displayed on the same shelf as raw meat causing a risk of cross contamination and of e-coli.

"Blood and juices from a gammon joint had run along a rusty shelf close to pies and other cooked meats, some of them unwrapped."

Officers also found cigarettes butts on the floor and evidence of smoking in food preparation areas and in particular close to a meat slicer.

Out of the six pork pies removed from the shop in the week before Christmas, three were contaminated with mould growth, she said.

Longman had failed to renew his licence and when he eventually applied it was turned down, said Ms Leamon.

Sarah Regan, defending, said her client did not take the matter lightly.

"He is well aware of the implications of bad practice and there is no way he would have wanted to injure any of his customers," she said. "By his pleas, he accepts what he did. He has now put procedures in place to ensure it does not happen again. He wants to move on from this awful experience.

"In reality the bulk of these offences happened within a very short period of time including the run-up to Christmas. It was an extremely busy time and he was working 12-14 hours day.

"Since these offences he has had his licence renewed and employed a young lad who is responsible for cleaning up."

The shop was no longer selling pies or cooked meats except black pudding, she said.

Although now the proprietor, Longman had worked in the shop since the age of 15, said Miss Regan.

"He has struggled to keep a family business afloat and despite all that has happened it is still his intention to do so. He is well liked and well respected with a large number of regular and supportive customers."

The court heard that the council would be seeking prosecution costs of £10,237.

Longman was granted unconditional bail pending crown court sentence on a date to be fixed.