Mouse-infested Liverpool butchers fined £17k after continuing to serve customers

A local grocery store and butchers in Liverpool has been fined almost £17,000 after continuing to serve customers despite a mice infestation on the premises.

Blue Nile on Holt Road in Kensington was found to have mice nesting in their products and rodents actively breeding on the premises during an inspection by City Council environmental helath officers in June 2022.

The food outlet pleaded guilty to six breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations at Liverpool Magistrates Court last week. The owners were fined £12,000, £4,719.05 costs and a £181 victim surcharge – a total of £16,900.

“This is a stomach-churning case and worthy of the hefty fine,” said Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, Laura Robertson Collins. “It’s appalling that these business owners think they can get away with putting the health and safety of customers at risk without any repercussions.”

The unannounced inspection by City Council officers found numerous environmental health breaches:

• Three dead mice were discovered under shelving units on the shop floor
• Three live mice were observed in a large bag of rice, which was also found to contain a nest with three baby mice in it.
• Mouse droppings were discovered throughout the food outlet
• Food packaging had been gnawed
• No cleaning regime in place as food debris had built up, providing the perfect food source for the pests.
• A number of gaps and holes in the building provided rodents with easy entry points.
• ‘Use by’ date on a number of chilled food items had expired, yet they were still for sale.

Immediate shut down: Conditions were so severe, Blue Nile was immediately shut down due to the ‘imminent risk to health’, as mice are known carriers of transmissible diseases 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 pest control reports confirmed there was still an on-going pest problem within the premises. After the shop carried out remedial works, the City Council team revisited the venue on 21 June 2022 and found further evidence of a pest control issue with a live mouse stuck on a glue board – Blue Nile remained closed. Following further works undertaken by the management, it was given permission to reopen on 27 June 2022.

Zero rating: Based on the inspection findings of 14 June 2022, the grocery and butchers was awarded the lowest food hygiene rating of zero – which signifies urgent improvement is necessary.