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Leicester grocery store closed due to vermin
19/07/2012
Environmental health inspectors in Leicester have temporarily shut down a grocery store in the Belgrave area of the city after much of its food was found to be contaminated as a result of a mouse infestation.
The People Store on Melton Road had a temporary prohibition order imposed on it after a routine inspection discovered mouse droppings throughout the premises, a dead mouse left in a trap, dead flies on packets of food, urine stains and even a nest of mice inside a pest controller's bait box.
In the process of seeking the order, environmental health officer Alison Cadmore told Leicester Magistrates' Court that since the store was closed on Monday, the owners have made some efforts to rectify the situation, but not enough.
“There was an extensive number of droppings clearly visible on the shelves, and split packets of food with holes where they had been nibbled by the mice. There was a dead mouse in a trap that had probably been there for days,” she explained. “I’ve been back to assess the situation since. Improvements have been made but they were not of a high standard.”
She told the court that the shop had a contract with a professional pest control company, but had had no communication with them since May.
The shop’s owner, Jesuthasan Uthuayakumar-Vaz, was told to pay £592 to cover the council’s costs and has been given a list of work that needs to be carried out before the shop can reopen, including disinfecting the entire premises and getting rid of all soiled stock.
