Mouse infested city store fined

Mouse droppings were found in pasta stores

An Edinburgh store owner has been fined £1,050 after pleading guilty to breaching six food hygiene charges.

Sadiq Hussain, owner of S H Store in Leith Walk, earlier admitted failing to keep the premises clean and permitting the accumulation of mouse droppings.

A routine Edinburgh Council inspection on 13 April found poor standards of food safety and hygiene.

Mr Hussain was fined £175 for each of the six offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

This case should send a strong message to all food business operators in the city Robert Aldridge Edinburgh Council

He acknowledged failing to adopt proper procedures for the management of pests, while failing to adequately train and supervise his staff.

Mr Hussain further admitted that he had failed to adopt, implement and maintain a food safety management system.

S H Store is a retail business providing a range of pre-packed ready-to-eat, dried and chilled foods. There is also a very limited amount of open food on the premises.

An officer recorded how food was being stored and displayed in such conditions that it was clearly exposed to contamination and therefore posed an imminent risk to the health of those customers who might consume it.

At the time of the visit, officers observed a serious mouse infestation that resulted in accumulations of droppings throughout the premises, including on jars and tins of food being offered for sale.

Closed immediately

There was also clear evidence of mice having eaten into boxes and packets of food.

Mr Hussain agreed voluntarily on 13 April 2007 to close the business and to keep it closed until officers were satisfied that the health risks had been removed.

However, when officers returned to the premises later that day, observations were made that indicated the store had reopened for business.

The Environmental Health Officers then used formal emergency powers (HEPN) to immediately close the business operation due to an ongoing imminent risk of injury to health for three days.

Robert Aldridge, Edinburgh Council environment leader, said: "This case should send a strong message to all food business operators in the city that we will not hesitate to take immediate action in order to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Edinburgh's residents and visitors.

"It is encouraging to note that this food business operator accepted responsibility for the food hygiene breaches committed in this case by pleading guilty."