A convenience store operator has been ordered to pay more than £13,000 after an inspection uncovered extensive rodent activity, including mice droppings and a dead mouse on the premises. The case centred on the Best In Late Shop on Atwell Street in Liverpool, where food products such as crisps and chocolates had been gnawed, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard. The details, which formed the basis of the Liverpool food hygiene case, illustrated significant breaches of safety standards.
Environmental health officers from Liverpool City Council visited the store in October 2024 following a complaint of a mouse sighting. They found the premises to be infested with rodents. Operator Freshone Ltd admitted five breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations during a hearing on 27 November. Although the shop has since reopened, the initial findings shaped the seriousness of the Liverpool food hygiene case.
Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture, said conditions at the Best In Late Shop when officers first attended were “truly horrific”. According to a council spokesperson, the inspection revealed clear signs of inadequate pest control. “There were mouse droppings found throughout the shop, including on the display shelving storing food and on floor surfaces,” they said. “Mice had gnawed foods and packets that were on sale to customers, including crisps and chocolates, while a dead mouse was also found under a freezer.”
The court heard that the conditions were so unhygienic that the shop was immediately shut down because it presented an imminent risk to health. It was issued the lowest possible food hygiene rating of zero. During the enforced closure, more than 55 mice were caught, according to the council. These findings remained central to the Liverpool food hygiene case and its outcomes.
Freshone Ltd was fined £5,333 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £5,694 in costs to the council. A second inspection later recorded significant improvements. The store was allowed to reopen and, following a further visit in May this year, received the top food hygiene rating of five.
Doyle said: “We take food hygiene and safety extremely seriously and this goes to show that we will take definitive action if a business fails to meet its legal requirements.” He added that the council was pleased to see the business had “owned up to its mistakes and has used our recommendations to fully turn things around, which is ultimately what we would want to see happen”. The trajectory of the Liverpool food hygiene case demonstrated how compliance and corrective action can restore standards.
