A care home has cleaned up its act after a bad hygiene inspection to regain its previous five-star rating.

Bosses at Halden Heights Care Community in High Halden near Ashford previously apologised after out-of-date food and germs on chopping boards were found.

The facility, which charges residents up to £1,750 a week, was given a rating of one after the routine visit in January.

At the inspection, Enterobacteriaceae – which contains salmonella and E-coli – and Bacillus cereus, which can cause foodborne illnesses, were found on chopping boards.

The care home on Ashford Road, which looks after 83 vulnerable residents, was also criticised for having food past its use-by date in the fridge.

But after “working tirelessly”, it was awarded a five-star - the highest possible rating - after a visit on April 17 by Ashford Borough Council inspectors.

Erika Aldridge, director of Eleanor Care, which owns and runs the site, told KentOnline: “We're really pleased that we've achieved our five-star.

“It was the rating we felt we should have had and obviously we were disappointed not to score it.

“We have worked really hard to identify solutions and bring up the standards of the way that we prepare food, the way we store food and the cleaning of the kitchen.”

Mrs Aldridge says all staff have now undergone retraining and they have a new system for checking labels and dates on food.

All chopping boards have been replaced, and a new dishwasher has been installed.

She added: “We're very confident that we will maintain the five rating that we've achieved.

“It was always something that we have had in place for many years here at Halden Heights.

“We feel that we've got the right staff, the right training, the right equipment, and the refocus back on the standards within the kitchen that we expect to achieve here.

“We'll be looking to maintain those going forward.

“We have taken it very seriously.

“We've worked tirelessly to turn the kitchen around and we're very proud of the food that we're producing and the cleanliness of the kitchens.

“The support we've had from the residents here and the families has been really well received.”

Halden Heights describes itself as a “high-end” home, with the website stating: “We offer exceptional standards of nursing care, comfort and luxury.

“The nursing home is spacious, purpose-built and offers a high-quality environment with a good degree of privacy spread over three floors.”

It has a rating of good from the Care Quality Commission.