An Afro-Caribbean food store was forced to shut termporarily after it was discovered to be selling illegal “skin-on” meat.

Environmental health officers carried out an unannounced inspection at Moyibo Foods in Queen Street, Gravesend, this month, which uncovered banned “smokies” on the premises.

Smokies, a traditional west African delicacy, are goats or sheep sold with their skin on, which then have the hairs scorched with a blow torch to give it a smoked flavour.

They are illegal in the UK, and any such meat is classed as unfit for human consumption as it does not comply with UK food legislation.

Shop staff initially denied having any smokies on site but a search identified a quantity of unlabelled smokie meat in a chest freezer along with prepacked and unlabelled meat.

This was removed from the site and destroyed by council officers.

A number of contraventions of food and health and safety legislation were also identified, and the business was required to close for urgent work to be carried out.

A follow-up visit the next day found the premises had been cleaned and reorganised, and the shop was allowed to reopen due to repairs to electrical sockets and reinstatement of the hot water system.

An improvement notice was served relating to the condition of the floor and the owner was provided with an extensive schedule of works required.

Cllr Emma Morley, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for operational Services, said: “Further visits to this business will take place to ensure all works are carried out and our improvement notice is complied with in full.

“The safety of our communities is our highest priority, and we will continue to proactively investigate and take action against any business in our borough where we have reason to believe illegal products are being sold.

“While I am encouraged the owner of Moyibo Foods voluntarily agreed to close the premises while the most urgent works were carried out, we will not tolerate any infringement of food hygiene and health and safety regulations, and I hope this action serves as a warning to others who either already are, or who are tempted to, ignore the rules.”

In the UK it is illegal to produce or sell Smokies under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations.

The regulations state carcasses must be skinned entirely as part of the slaughtering process. Any meat sold legally in the UK must have been slaughtered in an abattoir and carry an approved health identification mark.

Moyibo Foods declined to comment.