McDonald's has been fined nearly half a million pounds after a customer found mouse droppings in their cheeseburger and an 'infestation' was found at a restaurants
The disgusted drive-thru customer complained after tucking into their burger and saw what appeared to be a rodent’s excrement on the inside of the food wrapper.
An investigation was launched by environmental health officers who discovered an out-of-control rodent infestation at the restaurant.
They deemed it posed an 'imminent risk' to public health, and ordered the branch in Leytonstone, east London, to close its doors immediately.
Officers decomposing remains of a mouse as well as droppings throughout the, including in food preparation areas, main cooking areas and hot food holding areas.
The fast-food giant was hauled into court this week by Waltham Forest Council after pleading guilty to three charges relating to hygiene breaches and ordered to pay £500,000 in fines and costs.
Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said customers should be made to feel confident that their food has been cooked and prepared in a clean and safe environment.
Cllr Limbajee said: "We are grateful for the quick thinking of the customer in this case for reporting the matter to the council for investigation.
"There was a significant risk posed to the health of residents and visitors to Waltham Forest and as such the Council had no option but to take formal action in this case.
"McDonald’s is a large and well-experienced food business operator in the fast-food sector who serves thousands of meals per week to its customers, therefore the risk presented at the Leytonstone store was significant.
"It was appreciated that McDonald’s pleaded guilty and admitted wrongdoing at the first opportunity, however as a Council we take food hygiene seriously and won’t hesitate to follow up complaints and take action where appropriate, irrespective of who operates the food business.
"Residents and visitors should feel confident and assured that when they check a premises’ food hygiene rating in Waltham Forest, they know their food has been cooked in a clean and safe environment and that we take a zero-tolerance approach to serious hygiene contraventions."
Environmental health officers working for Waltham Forest Council visited the restaurant in October 2021, following a complaint from a far-from-satisfied customer.
The customer, who ordered their food at the drive-thru section of the restaurant, was said to have been 'halfway through' eating their cheeseburger when they looked down at the inside of the food wrapper and spotted what they thought was a mouse dropping.
The disgusted customer complained to Waltham Forest Council, which sent environmental health officers to investigate the Leytonstone restaurant - which still retains a 1.5-star rating on Trip Advisor.
The officers discovered conditions at the restaurant which presented 'a real and imminent risk' to the health of customers eating there and immediately ordered the restaurant to close. Several people still eating were asked to leave halfway through their meals.
McDonald's pleaded guilty to three hygiene breaches and was ordered to pay £475,000 plus £22,000 in costs.
The branch has since been given a hygiene rating of 4 (good).
A statement from McDonald's said: "We apologise unreservedly for this incident and for any upset caused.
"We are committed to the highest standards of health, safety, quality and hygiene and in this instance we fell short of the standards we set ourselves across all our restaurants.
"We have worked closely with our Primary Authority, London Borough of Barnet, for many years on our food safety processes and controls, and whilst we have extensive food safety systems in place, unfortunately these were not adequately implemented at this restaurant on this occasion.
"Following the incident a full review of policy and procedures was undertaken at both a local and national level to ensure an issue of this nature does not occur again."
