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Droppings found in Burnage shop

26/ 3/2008

A SHOPKEEPER has been fined after environmental health inspectors found mice droppings on his chocolate bars.

Inayat Ullah, the owner of the Burnage Food Store, was fined £7,500 and ordered to pay £1,673 in costs when he appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court.

The 73-year-old had already pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations.

Coun Neil Swannick, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment said after the hearing: "We will not tolerate businesses that blatantly flout hygiene regulations and will not hesitate to prosecute where a business is clearly putting the health of members of the public at risk.

"The level of fine imposed by the court clearly supports the strong line taken by the City Council, in cases such as these."

A Manchester City Council environmental health public protection officer visited the Burnage Lane store on July 3 last year following a complaint about an unrelated matter. While he was there, the officer noticed there were mouse droppings and urine throughout the store, particularly on dry goods such as biscuits and chocolate bars.

Some of the chocolate bars had been partially eaten by mice, wrappers had been gnawed through and there were visible bite marks.

There were also other hygiene problems including food debris underneath or behind equipment and fridges in a dirty state.

The officer ordered Mr Ullah to shut the store while it was cleaned, treated the infestation and emptied of contaminated stock. Mr Ullah, of Burnage Hall Lane, was allowed to reopen the store on July 9.