By Nick Horner

Copyright birminghammail

A restaurant with a proud 30-year history has issued a grovelling apology after it was fined over a fridge found dumped in a city centre. The popular Lal Bagh Indian restaurant in Lichfield was named and shamed by Lichfield District Council last month. It said the Bird Street venue faced ‘chilling consequences’ after a commercial fridge was abandoned near the location of the city’s Franciscan Friary, a scheduled ancient monument. READ MORE: Restaurant’s licence suspended after 8 staff members found living inside Environmental health officers who scoured CCTV spotted a new fridge being delivered and an old one being taken away. Council records ‘confirmed it was the exact same fridge’, the authoity said. The venue, the eighth-best restaurant in the city according to Tripadvisor users, was fined £1,000 fine plus clean-up and disposal costs. Now the Lal Bagh has issued an apology and called the incident a ‘serious lapse’ and ‘serious error of judgment’. In a post on its Facebook page, it said: “You may have seen a recent post from the council regarding a fine we received for improper waste disposal. “We want to address this directly and honestly. We made a mistake, and we are deeply sorry. When arranging for an old fridge to be taken away, we made a poor decision. “The arrangement was for it to be collected the following morning. To keep a public path clear overnight, we moved the fridge to a secluded spot next to the path, fully expecting it to be gone by morning. READ MORE: Builder’s fly-tipped waste ‘dangerously blocked’ road “Our mistake was twofold: we entrusted the job to an unofficial individual without verifying their license, and we failed to ensure it had been collected the next morning. “This was a serious error of judgment and a failure of our own standards. We should have used a certified company, and we should have followed up. This was a case of misplaced trust and a serious lapse in our own procedures, not a deliberate act to harm the beautiful environment of the town we call home. “We have paid the fine and have already implemented stricter rules for all waste disposal to ensure this never, ever happens again.” READ MORE: McDonald’s warning as women told ‘be vigilant’ as man makes unwanted advances The apology concluded: “For over 30 years, we have been proud to be a part of this beautiful town. “We have always strived to be a responsible local business and good neighbours. This incident is not who we are, and it does not reflect the values we’ve held for three decades. “We understand the disappointment this has caused. All we can ask is for your understanding and the chance to earn back your trust. “We hope, in time, you will judge us on our 30-year history, our food, and our service, rather than on this regrettable mistake. “We have learned a humbling lesson and are committed to earning back your trust. Thank you for reading. Sincerely, Mohammed Hussain and the team at Lalbagh.” One member of the public, James Larkins, quipped on the Lichfield council post: “Next time they ask for a tip. I’ll tell them there’s one at Trent Valley.” Gareth Hawkins said: “A £1,000 fine – should be more. It does not cover the cost of all the investigation.” While Adrian Steele said: “That’s me boycotting Lal Bagh, disgraceful!.” Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join But there was sympathy for the venue under its own Facebook post. Maria McLaren said: “We’ve all made errors of judgement . It’s what is done afterwards. “I am really pleased you wrote this message and it gives us confidence to keep coming to the restaurant.” Rain Hitchman said: “You have always held yourself to the highest standards and done all you can to be a high-quality service supplier. “So our family has every trust in you and your restaurant. I’m sure everyone will accept your apology and your explanation. “We look forward to dining with you again very soon. Kindest regards Chris and Lorraine Hitchman and family xxx.” Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox And Ricardo De La Crisp said: “Thanks for clarifying this! “To me it was obviously a mistake. Why would any business fly-tip so close to their own premises? “It would be inevitable you’d be caught. Hence it didn’t take the council long to work out where it came from. “An honest mistake made by a trustworthy and long-standing family business. We for one will not boycott and make sure we support our Lal Bagh! “Great food, great service and a great team! Here’s to the next 30 years.” Revealing the fine last month, the council said: “We couldn’t believe it when a commercial fridge was dumped in Lichfield city centre last month – right onto land where the Franciscan Friary once stood, a scheduled ancient monument. “One of our environmental health officers reviewed CCTV and spotted a brand-new fridge being delivered to a city centre business… and the old one being dragged out the back. “Photos from the business’s last food hygiene inspection confirmed it was the exact same fridge. The owner – Lal Bagh – was questioned, admitted the offence, and was issued a £1,000 fixed penalty. “Our street cleansing team then followed up with a bill for removing and disposing of it properly. Let’s keep Lichfield beautiful – dispose of waste and litter the right way.”