Environmental health inspectors have found poor, unsatisfactory or failing food safety conditions in more than 650 premises.

Council officials regularly carry out spot-checks on businesses and organisations that prepare and serve food to make sure they are not a risk to public health.

Latest figures showed that of the 5,000 inspected food serving premises, ranging from takeaways, restaurants and pubs to village halls and workplace canteens, some 655 are failing to meet standards, or have been found to be unclean and unsafe.

Councils publish the results of inspections on the internet and give each business a "scores on the doors" rating which owners and managers are urged, but not obliged, to display.

Leicester City Council's Smilesafe scheme gives each business a rating depending on how it has performed. Chris Ashford, council environmental health officer, said: "Most places we visit are fine and comply with the food safety regulations but some fall below. The highly unsatisfactory premises are likely to have some kind of pest problem.

"We have issued 20 closure notices in the past year where there has been a risk to public health and those were told they could only reopen when the problem was solved.

"We would urge customers to have look at our ratings when they choose where they are going to eat.

"It encourages food businesses to raise their game and makes things much safer for the public.

"We brought in the scheme four years ago and it is having that effect.

You still get some really bad cases, with rats, mice or insects, where we have to act, but the message is getting across."