A Kensington supermarket was shut down after being found to have a major mouse infestation.
Sun Market Liverpool on Prescot Road was inspected by environmental health officers from Liverpool Council who discovered the premises was continuing to serve customers despite mouse droppings being found throughout the store. Such was the state of the shop, it was shut down due to an imminent risk to health.
The owners of the business have now been fined almost £6,000 at Liverpool Magistrates Court.
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During an inspection of the business in December 2021, council officers found mouse waste throughout, including on surfaces and under shelving units. Stomach-churning images from the premises showed how around 20 food items had been visibly gnawed, and a clear lack of cleaning ensured the food debris provided the rodents with a readily available food source.
A number of gaps and holes in the building provided rodents with easy entry points.
Conditions were so severe, Sun Market Liverpool was immediately shut down due to the imminent risk to health, as mice are known carriers of zoonoses - diseases transmissible from animals to humans - including; salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and hantavirus which can cause serious illness, especially to vulnerable people such as children, the elderly, immunocompromised and those who are pregnant.
During the closure period a number of bait devices had been eaten, which confirmed there was still an ongoing pest problem within the premises. After the shop carried out remedial works over a seven day period, Liverpool Council officials visited and agreed that the shop could reopen.
After pleading guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court, Sun Market Liverpool Ltd was fined £2,800, with a surcharge of £190, and costs of £3,000 awarded to Liverpool Council. Based on the initial findings, Sun Market Liverpool was awarded the lowest food hygiene rating of zero - which signifies urgent improvement is necessary.
Following an inspection in October 2022, it currently holds a food hygiene rating of two which indicates improvement is necessary. Liverpool Council’s environmental health service operates the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Members of the public can check the food hygiene rating of most food businesses in Liverpool by visiting www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Councillor Laura Robertson Collins, Liverpool Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, said: “It’s an absolute disgrace that some business owners operate in a way which can literally put lives at risk. It’s never an easy read when it comes to food safety cases, and we owe a huge amount to our council hygiene heroes who take immediate action when necessary and ensure those breaching regulations are brought to justice.
“This is a substantial fine which this business now has to pay thanks to their careless approach to managing a business safely, and we hope it sends out a strong messages to food premises across the city that unsatisfactory standards will not be tolerated and we will take action.”
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