A busy Morrisons supermarket was forced to close after an inspection found ‘poor hygiene levels’.
Waltham Forest Council council slapped the branch in Chingford, East London with a hygiene notice amid speculation of a supposed rat infestation.
According to documents from Waltham Forest Council’s food and safety crew, the store was found to have an “active rat and mice infestation”. The report shows very poor standards of cleaning and a leaking foul water debacle at the supermarket.
A date as to when shoppers will be allowed back in the store is still unclear. Morrisons and Waltham Forest Council are set to battle the matter in court, reports the Mirror. Discussing the situation, Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, cabinet member for community safety, said: “Under food hygiene regulations the council has served a hygiene emergency prohibition notice to temporarily close the Morrisons store in Chingford. A court hearing is due imminently. We are unable to comment further at this time.”
Morrisons meanwhile has roared back, claiming that their pest control, Rentokil, are on top of the situation. Their spokesperson told MyLondon: “Following a visit from the local council, our Chingford store has been closed.
“We have Rentokil on site now to investigate the reported pest issue and hopefully we’ll have the store open again very soon.”
The Morrison’s branch was previously given a 5 rating in its food hygiene rating – indicating “very good” when last inspected in December 2022. The report also gave a “good” rating for the supermarket’s cleanliness. It added: “Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene.
“System or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to ear, evidence that staff know about food safety and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.” The Mirror has contacted Morrisons for comment.
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