New laws are being considered to force hotels, restaurants and other food outlets to display a certificate showing if they have failed to meet hygiene standards.

New laws are being considered to force hotels, restaurants and other food outlets to display a certificate showing if they have failed to meet hygiene standards.

A pilot scheme was introduced six weeks ago in five areas of Scotland to make the public aware of how premises fared in their last inspection.

More than 300 premises - 10% of the total - ranging from one of Scotland's most famous five-star hotels to schools, a children's home and a number of outlets at Glasgow Airport and the Braehead shopping centre, have failed to meet the legal requirements.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which launched the scheme, asked all 3000 establishments involved to display their certificates prominently on a door or window.

Although many have displayed their "pass" certificates it is understood few - if any - have voluntarily displayed the certificate indicating they have been marked "improvement required" which indicated a failure to meet the legal requirements. This comes at a time when soaring levels of E-coli poisoning in Scotland have prompted an investigation into whether Scotland needs a new action plan to tackle the bug.

The consumer organisation Which?, having backed the scheme, now wants display of the certificates to be be mandatory.

Yesterday, the FSA confirmed that when the scheme is evaluated one of the the decisions to be taken will be whether legislation is required to make it compulsory for businesses to display the certificates.

The five local authorities involved in the scheme are Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fife and Renfrewshire.

All but Aberdeen are currently displaying the results of the last hygiene inspection for premises in the pilot areas on their websites. Aberdeen is expected to do so shortly when technical difficulties are overcome.

A "pass" indicates that the business broadly met the legal requirements. These include the conditions found and the management procedures in place for providing safe food. The category "improvement required" is where a business has failed to meet these standards.

Fife's results, for instance, show that the top St Andrews Old Course Hotel failed to achieve a pass at its last inspection in July.

Environmental health officers explained that the decision not to pass an establishment was not taken lightly and there would have to be a risk to the public.

They said the decision was reached as a result of a comprehensive checking system based on a code of practice. Owners of businesses which failed to achieve a pass could remedy the problems and then appeal and a reinspection had to be carried out within seven days.

Julia Clarke, of Which? said: "We are are absolutely behind the law being changed in order to make it mandatory todisplay the certificate awarded and we would like the full reports published on the web.

"The food inspectors know where the bad restaurants are and we feel the public is entitled to have this information. That way they can vote with their feet if they think a place isn't clean and they won't go there by mistake. It will drive up standards."

A spokeswoman for the FSA said it was pleased with how the pilot scheme was going and added: "The pilot running in Scotland and other pilot schemes across the UK will be evaluated.

"Following the pilot, one of the decisions that may need to be taken will be whether legislation is required to make it compulsory for businesses to display certificates.

"The scheme is voluntary, businesses are encouraged to put up their certificates and consumers are entitled to ask why the certificate is not being displayed.

"Where information has not been displayed, consumers should be able to access the information via the local authority website."

Councillor Ewan Aitken, leader of Edinburgh council, said: "The scheme has made a very noticeable difference in the speed with which businesses given improvement required ratings rectify any problems to achieve a pass certificate.

"It will be up to the FSA to decide whether to make it obligatory for inspected premises to display their certificates.

"In our experience, businesses falling into the 'improvement required' category are understandably reluctant to advertise this by putting up a certificate in public view, although of course this information can be found online."

The St Andrews Old Course Hotel was contacted for a comment but did not respond.

Other Fife establishments which failed to achieve a pass included Aberhill Primary School in Leven and East Fife Football Club's Law View Restaurant. Another football club to fail to pass was St Johnstone for its supporters' club premises.

The BHS store in Perth was designated "improvement required" as were the same stores in Aberdeen's Union Street and Edinburgh's Princes Street.

Letham Primary School in Perth, Kingsfield Children's Home in Aberdeen, Busy Bees Nursery in Edinburgh, bakers, bowling clubs and hotels are among those failing to make the grade.