'Filthy' indoor market stall where officers discovered mouse droppings and mouldy food
Environmental health officers discovered mouse droppings and mouldy food at the stall
A Bullring Indoor Market trader who ran a ‘filthy’ food stall complained he was ‘always getting visits’ from Birmingham environmental health officers, a court heard.
Birmingham Magistrates Court was told council officers found mouse droppings on two Easter egg boxes and two food display cases, mouldy carrots and tomatoes and eight out-of-date packets of salmon at a business trading as BME United Heritage, Arts & Culture.
The inspection also found the shelving, scales, a container, the till, fridges and freezers were dirty. A food container was also found to be damaged.
The authority carried out a routine inspection in February 2025 when the discovery was made and a hygiene improvement notice was served.
The court was told officers made subsequent visits to the business but matters were not being dealt with and, during an inspection in February this year, company director Abdul-Kabir Abdul ‘found it difficult not to shout at officers’.
Neither 58-year-old Abdul nor any other representative from BME United Heritage, Arts & Culture was at the hearing, which was held on Thursday, July 30.
Both the company and Abdul were each found guilty of six charges under the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013 act in their absence.
Simon Mortimer, prosecuting for Birmingham City Council said there were no previous convictions in relation to the director or the company.
He said: “Mouse droppings have the ability to pass on food poisoning and worse.
“In February 2026, he found it difficult not to shout at officers. He complained he was always getting visits.
“But he was getting visits because he has filthy premises and we were trying to assist him.
“It is a small business but it is clearly a business he felt was going to be profitable.”
Magistrates found the matters to be proved in absence and fined Abdul £1,100 and ordered him to pay a surcharge of £440 and prosecution costs of £1,550.
Whilst the company was also found guilty, no separate penalty was issued.
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