Poundworld store with ‘out of control’ mice infestation fined £1.2m

Normanton-headquartered discount retailer Poundworld has been fined £1.2m after an “out-of-control” rodent infestation was discovered in one of its stores.

On visiting the shop in Croydon, South London, council officers found it to be dirty and littered with mouse droppings, food on display was gnawed and rodent urine and faeces were found over packaging and products.

Some products’ gnawed packaging had been “repaired” with adhesive tape and returned to the shop shelves for sale, officers said.

Croydon Council said: “On visiting the store, in February 2016, the officers discovered an out-of-control infestation. Officers consulted with the store management who agreed to immediately cease the sale of food.”

The basement and storage areas were also found to be contaminated with mouse droppings, while some areas were in darkness with very poor visibility.

Additionally, there was no hot water, inadequate heating and poor housekeeping, which resulted in stock being left in a haphazard and dangerous manner, officers said.

A judge fined the company £660,000 for the food safety offences, and £500,000 for one of the health and safety at work offences – with no separate penalty for the second. She also awarded costs of £30,409.60 and a victim surcharge of £120.

Cllr Hamida Ali, cabinet member for communities, safety and justice, said: “I am pleased to see that by imposing such a substantial level of fines and costs, the courts take seriously the matter of food retailers’ responsibility to ensure they adhere to legal requirements designed to protect the health and safety of their customers and staff.

“The degree to which this company failed to uphold cleanliness and safety standards in its premier town-centre store beggars belief, and the financial penalty imposed is – to most people’s minds, I’m sure – entirely justified.”

A Poundworld spokesperson told BBC News that the store was inspected again by food and safety officers in September 2016 and was awarded a four-star rating, adding: “We have taken the necessary steps to help ensure that the unacceptable conditions found at our Croydon store never happen again.”