Bargain-Store Poundland Sold Resealed Biscuits Nibbled By Mice

Bargain store chain Poundland have been caught re-sealing packets of sweets and biscuits, which had been gnawed by mice and rodents, and putting them back on the shelves at one of their busiest shop's.

The company were fined a total of £24,000 today for continuing to sell food at their Whitgift Centre store in Croydon, (pictured) which had been contaminated by mouse droppings and urine and gnawed by vermin.

"An experienced environmental health officer was shocked by what he had seen," prosecutor Mr. David McNeill told Croydon Magistrates' Court.

"Food that had been gnawed by mice, instead of being disposed of, was re-sealed with cellotape by staff and put back on sale."

Poundland, of Wellmans Road, Willehall, West Midlands admitted five summonses of breaching General Food and Food Hygiene Regulations brought by Croydon Council and were also ordered to pay £2,910 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

They admitted failing to withdraw food unfit for human consumption; failing to protect food from contamination; failing to control mice; failing to keep the store clean and in good repair and condition and failing to implement and maintain their own food safety management system.

Mr. McNeill explained customer complaints prompted the inspection on November 22, last year, which revealed mice had gnawed their way through the door brushes of a storage area, which contained many chocolate products.

"In that area the boxes containing chocolate products had droppings inside and there was evidence of rodents eating the food.

"In the main shop food packages on sale had been gnawed by mice and the contents had spilled onto shelves where it mixed with mice droppings," said Mr. McNeill.

"A dead mouse was also found under one of the shelves and it was obvious the shelves had not been cleaned for some considerable time."

Ironically Pestokill, who have a contract with Poundland, had visited the store just five days earlier, but their recommendations of improved cleaning and the placement of mouse traps were not implemented.

Poundland's lawyer Mr. Alan Millband told the court: "The organisation are taking these matters very seriously. Poundland is not in the business of selling sub-standard products.

"If the systems were followed this would not have happened," added Mr. Millband. "There has patently been a store manager failure and the company feels let-down by Pestokill."

The store manager was not disciplined by Poundland and is now assisted by a second manager.