Retailer fined over rodent gnawed chocolate bar
LIVERPOOL-based retailer B&M Bargains has been reportedly fined £2,500 for selling a chocolate bar gnawed by rodents.
The 200g bar of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut which is believed to have come from the company’s Speke depot was purchased by a customer at a B&M store at Stockton, Teeside.
Teeside Magistrates Court hear that Stockton Council had investigated and found the bar was most likely to have been eaten at the discount retailer’s distribution depot at Speke.
The depot was visited following the January 2015 incident food safety officers found “evidence of mouse urine and rodent droppings”, the Liverpool Echo reported.
B&M admitted one charge of placing food on the market which was unfit for human consumption.
Richard Williams, defending B&M, said the firm had no previous food safety convictions and “steps were now being taken” to deal with the rodent problems at the Liverpool depot.
Magistrates fined the firm £2,500, with £1,912 costs and a £120 victim surcharge to be paid in full within seven days.
The court was told the company was one of the UKs fastest growing variety retailers with nearly 500 stores. Last year B&M enjoyed a turnover of £1.5bn and reported profits of £151m.
