Mouse poo and gnawed packets of food found in London school kitchen

"An inspector found that a loaf of freshly-baked bread in a basket had been placed directly on top of mice droppings. Droppings were seen close to clean equipment and bags of rice and pasta had been chewed by the rodents. Mouse droppings were found throughout the kitchen, food storeroom and in the pot wash area."

"They were also found directly in contact with food packaging, baskets containing sauces and spices and in boxes containing new disposable cutlery. The report said this showed that rodents are active and on food and surfaces where food is stored. Food baskets that were being used to store items were also visibly dirty, said the report."

"At the inspection, staff said that they forgot to clear-up the mouse droppings because they were busy preparing lunch. Staff said a mouse had also been seen in the kitchen last week, yet no effective monitoring had taken place. A pest control report from November 26 also noted mice problems at the primary school kitchen."

"The primary school was told to sort out the pest problem and any droppings. It was also told to clean the entire kitchen and throw out any food which may be contaminated. Food handlers were also told to undergo retraining in preventing contamination and safety. The report reads: These incidents indicate that staff are not consistently monitoring for signs of pests, are not escalating issues immediately and are not implementing required"

Mouse droppings and signs of rodent activity were found throughout a primary school kitchen, food storeroom, and pot wash area. A loaf of freshly baked bread was placed directly on top of mice droppings, and droppings were found near clean equipment. Bags of rice and pasta had been chewed, and droppings were found in contact with food packaging, baskets holding sauces and spices, and boxes containing new disposable cutlery. Food baskets used for storage were visibly dirty. Staff reported forgetting to clear droppings due to being busy preparing lunch, and a mouse had been seen the previous week without effective monitoring. The school was instructed to address the pest problem, remove contaminated food, clean the entire kitchen, and retrain food handlers to prevent contamination.

Read at www.standard.co.uk