Restaurants may have to display food safety scores

All London restaurants could be forced to display their food hygiene ratings under plans being discussed in Parliament.

Some boroughs are testing a scheme for rating food premises on cleanliness, with the findings kept on a website and displayed voluntarily by the outlet.

However, it was feared the worst premises would be the least likely to display the signs. Under the London Local Authorities Bill, it would be compulsory for food outlets to display ratings on a door or window.

The current Scores On The Doors scheme, promoted by the Food Standards Agency, uses a star system. Five stars indicate "very high standards of food safety management," while no stars suggests a "general failure" to meet food safety rules.

Last month it was revealed that some of the West End's top restaurants had been given only one star, including Marco Pierre White's Mirabelle in Mayfair, Zilli Fish in Soho and Langan's Bistro in Devonshire Street.