Owner of mice-infested Walsall food shop fined £6,700

Family Shopper in Salters Road, Walsall Wood, was found to have mice droppings near where food was prepared after an inspection.

The droppings were found near to stored consumable goods and behind a chest freezer near the shop-front windows, Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court heard.

Environmental health officers from Walsall Council carried out the routine check in May last year – and immediately issued a closure order to keep the public safe.

Business operator Sukhjinderjit Sanghera, aged 49, pleaded guilty on September 26.

Sanghera, from, Luttrell Road in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, was fined a total of £6,696 after breaching food hygiene law three times.

He was found to have neglected to control pests, failed to keep a food preparation area clean, and operated a food business from premises infested with mice.

Councillor Garry Perry, portfolio holder for Public Health at Walsall Council, said: "Well done to our Environmental Health officers for making this business accountable and protecting the public.

"Mice carry a range of bacteria that if passed to humans through their urine or droppings can cause serious illness.

"We do everything we can to protect Walsall from this type of poorly managed and unhygienic business, which I’m happy to say is in the minority – but we always prosecute where we can."

Councillor Perry also urged people to remain vigilant before buying any food.

He added: "If there is no visible Food Hygiene Rating in the front window, or on the door of the business – ask yourself why?

"I’d encourage everyone to use the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and check first.

"A grade of five is the highest score and it doesn’t take much imagination to work out what sort of place you'd be buying from by the time you’ve reached one."

"I am lobbying Parliament to make it law for all food businesses to display their rating in plain sight. Until this happens, don’t put yourself at risk.“