It may shock you to find some of your favourite restaurants and takeaways across St Albans have failed to meet basic hygiene requirements and have been hit by a zero rating.

Only one restaurant in St Albans received the lowest rating given by the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) national food hygiene rating scheme after inspectors paid a visit.

However 15 more received the second lowest rating of one.

See if your favourite is listed below.

St Albans:

Murgano's, Victoria Street, St Albans

Rated ZERO in May

Markyate Fish Bar and Kebab House, High Street, Markyate, St Albans

Rated ONE in November

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

Massala Village, High Street, St Albans

Rated ONE in December

The Three Blackbirds, High Street, Flamstead

Rated ONE in January

The Village Spice, How Wood Park Street, St Albans

Rated ONE in May

Thompson's, How Wood Park Street, St Albans

Rated ONE in February

Willows Farm - Woolly Jumpers, Willows Farm, St Albans

Rated ONE in October

Devdas, St Peters Street, St Albans

Rated ONE in June

Alban Tandoori, Victoria Street, St Albans

Rated ONE in January

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

AM2PM, London Road, St Albans

Rated ONE in July 2015

Mokoko PH, Verulam Road, St Albans

Rated ONE in May

Spice Lounge, Hatfield Road, St Albans

Rated ONE in April

Fleetville Fish Bar, Hatfield Road, St Albans

Rated ONE in June

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

ST Emporium Food and Wine, Sandridge Road, St Albans

Rated ONE in June 2015

Thomspons St Albans, Hatfield Road, St Albans Rated ONE in June

What does this mean?

Businesses with one or zero ratings must make urgent or major improvement to the hygiene standards.

Food outlets are rated from 0-5 on three main criteria, including how food is prepared, cooked and stored, food safety, and the condition of the premises.

Establishments given a rating of zero or one are very likely to be performing poorly in all three elements and are likely to have a history of serious problems.

There may, for example, be a lack of sufficient cleaning and disinfection, and there may not be a good enough system of management in place to check and record what the business does to make sure the food is safe.

Are you shocked by some of these ratings? Comment below or email steven.brown@london.newsquest.co.uk.