The kitchen of a three-star hotel near Ipswich has been told an improvement is necessary in its hygiene following a low rating from the council.

A food hygiene rating of two - meaning 'improvement necessary' - was given to the kitchen at Kew Green Hotels at Holiday Inn in Sproughton.

The three-star hotel is in London Road in the village on the outskirts of Ipswich.

A food hygiene intervention report was issued after an officer inspected the kitchen at the site on February 21.

The food hygiene report was issued by a food safety officer at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council.

It rated the standards in hygienic food handling – the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage – at the site as good.

The management of food safety at the site, and how much confidence the food safety officer has that standards will be maintained in future, was rated as generally satisfactory.

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However, improvement was necessary in the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building.

An informal notice was issued to the business following the inspection, which noted many structural defects in the kitchen making effective cleaning difficult or "impossible".

"Repairs must be carried out," the inspector wrote.

It was noted that deep and detailed cleaning must be improved at the site, and that the inside of the ice machine must be cleaned and sanitised.

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The report said the owners must ensure hand contact points, such as light switches, are kept clean and sanitised.

Structural defects should also be identified and repairs planned as part of food safety management system.

All the matters requiring attention were legal requirements, and the deep and detailed cleaning which must be dealt with immediately.

Kew Green Hotels has been contacted for comment, but none was received.