A national campaign is being launched to raise awareness of the Food Hygiene Ratings System that gives outlets a mark ranging from zero up to five – zero signifying urgent need for improvement.

Now the campaign is encouraging people to make an informed choice about where they eat by looking at the green-and-black sticker on a restaurant or food outlets window or entrance door to check the score.

The campaign, which the St Albans District Council is supporting, is launching on Monday, February 8 and will run until Sunday, February 26, using the social media hashtag #WheresTheSticker.

Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles, responsible for the environment at the council, said: “We strongly support the Food Hygiene Rating system which celebrated its fifth anniversary last year.

“It encourages businesses to aim for the highest possible standards and enables people to make informed choices about where they eat.

“A lot of people now keep their eye out for the green-and-black stickers which have become a common sight on the high street.

“Hopefully, the campaign will inspire even more people to do so.

“Many businesses say the sticker has improved their reputation, increased customer confidence and bought them more trade.

“If you don’t see one, my advice is to do what the campaign suggests and make a point of asking staff – ‘where’s the sticker?’”

People can check the ratings for outlets in the St Albans district and elsewhere on http://ratings.food.gov.uk.