The owners of a city centre restaurant were fined £2,000 by Brighton magistrates for failing to clear up rubbish.
The prosecution by Brighton and Hove City Council followed complaints about a build-up of refuse and food waste at Wok Wok, in Duke Street, Brighton.
London-based City Centre Restaurants, which runs Wok Wok, admitted failing to comply with a city council improvement notice requiring the firm to make changes to the way food waste was stored and collected.
The company was also ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
Environmental health officer Roy Pickard said: "We are pleased the magistrates acknowledged the seriousness of the matter by the size of the fine.
"We receive a large number of complaints from the public regarding this issue each year.
"Accumulations of commercial food waste can attract pests and vermin, cause smells, look unsightly and reflect badly on the image of the city."
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