AN AMESBURY takeaway has been cleared of any wrongdoing by food hygiene inspectors after a video shared on social media showed a staff member chopping meat on restaurant’s courtyard floor.

The video, uploaded last Wednesday, shows a woman outside Chan’s restaurant, in The Arcade, Earls Court Road, chopping meat on a board placed on the floor of the yard in front of a wheelie bin, and bagging it.

A piece of meat that falls directly onto the floor is also placed in the bag by the staff member.

But a spokesman for the takeaway said the video had been “taken out of context”, and the woman was in fact chopping waste and bagging it up to be put in the bin.

After the video was flagged to Wiltshire Council's environment officers, an immediate investigation was launched.

An inspector who visited the restaurant has now confirmed "there was no evidence to support that this food [shown in the video] was intended to be placed on the market".

But he advised the restaurant staff to take more care when preparing food to be thrown away.

"In light of this complaint you should, as discussed, break down waste meat inside and dispose of it in a way that ensures it can no longer be used," he added. For example, covering the food in Deepio [de-greaser] or bleach.

"Do not put waste food in the white bags where you store food intended to be served to customers."

Chan’s was list inspected by the Food Standards Agency in October, in which it received an overall food hygiene rating of ‘good’. An officer found that the takeaway’s management of food safety and cleanliness were ‘good’, and that its hygienic food handling was ‘generally satisfactory’.