Wolverhampton business and director hit with £12,600 court bill after known rat infestation

A Wolverhampton city food business and its director have been ordered to pay more than £12,600 after a major rat infestation was uncovered during a council inspection.

Hannah Otesanya, director of Citah Afro Caribbean Market, told Wolverhampton Council environmental health officers that staff had been aware of pest activity for several months.

Rat droppings and gnawed food products were found at the Lichfield Street premises and the business had placed open rodent bait on the first floor where food and drink products were stored.

The situation was discovered by council officers during an unannounced inspection in March last year. The team heard the business had been aware of the rodent infestation since December 2024.

Poor levels of cleaning, gaps in the cellar and first floor of sufficient size to allow pests access into the premises and gnawed packets where food was handled and stored were also discovered during the inspection.

Due to the extent of the infestation and risk to public health, officers immediately closed the premises.

At Dudley Magistrates Court on August 26, Otesanya pleaded guilty to three breaches of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 for failing to ensure the premises were kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition, failing to protect food against any contamination likely to render it unfit for human consumption and for failing to have adequate procedures in place to control pests.

The same charges were brought against the business, and guilty pleas were also entered.

Magistrates found the offences to be of high culpability, noting the business was aware of the pest activity prior to the inspection and had failed to implement recognised systems to manage the risk.

Citah Ltd was fined £6,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £3,600. Otesanya was fined £460, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £184 and costs of £400. The total financial penalty imposed by the court was £12,644.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services at Wolverhampton Council, said: “This is an extremely unpleasant case where a city business owner has knowingly put her customers at risk.

“The rat infestation had been obvious for some time, yet adequate controls had not been put in place, creating a risk to customers of serious illness.

“Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure that food is stored, handled and sold in hygienic conditions. We will always take action where companies breach these responsibilities and put people at risk.

“Our environmental health officers work very hard to protect residents and consumers and I hope other businesses take note of the fact that we take food hygiene very seriously in Wolverhampton.”  

After extensive cleaning, pest control treatment and structural repairs, officers were satisfied the immediate health risk had been removed and the Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was lifted on March 20 2025.