Cornershop in Eyres Monsell closed down after live mice found

A corner shop has been closed after health inspectors found live and dead mice in the building.

Two live and four dead rodents were discovered in storage areas at Shopways, in The Exchange, Eyres Monsell, Leicester.

The shop, a small supermarket, was closed as soon the mice were found and will have to stay shut until it no longer poses an imminent risk to public health.

The closure was ratified by a district judge at a hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday.

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Shilpa Thakrar, representing Leicester City Council, told the hearing environmental health officers Alison Cadmore and Andrew Woods made the discovery when they inspected the premises on Monday.

Their visit followed a complaint from a member of the public.

The court was told the ground floor shop had a number of storage areas directly off it. Two live and two dead mice were found on a sticky board in once of the storage areas.

Two more dead mice were found on sticky boards in other stores.

Mr Woods, who said there was "an overwhelming smell of rodents" when entering one of the store rooms, said droppings and gnawed food and packaging were found throughout the building.

More droppings were found under shelves at the front of the shop, where drinks were on display.

There was bait in paper cake cases accessible to customers and a tub of rodenticide was in a side storeroom.

In her statement, Ms Cadmore said while inspecting the refuse storage areas she found a bin in a garage so full of clutter she could not get into the area to look properly.

"I later found out that there was a door directly off the shop into the garage," she said.

"I opened this door to find a mouse stuck to one of several glue boards on the floor.

"A strong odour of mice emanated from the garage.

"I quickly realised there was a serious mouse infestation."

The health inspectors immediately served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice on the shop, preventing it from selling food.

Owner Mahesh Vakani, of Jackson Close, Oadby, who did not attend the hearing, was ordered by District Judge John Temperley to pay £695 costs.

The court heard Mr Vakani had told Ms Cadmore the problem with mice had started three or four weeks previously.

He blamed it on vacant flats above the shop.

He told the officers he used to have a pest control contract but had stopped it because he had not had any problems with mice and was now treating it himself by laying down glue boards and rodenticide.