UK supermarket given £20k fine after mouse and cockroaches discovered | UK | News
A local supermarket in one of England’s biggest cities has been ordered to pay a fine after mice and cockroaches were found inside. S&D Supermarket on Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, has been ordered to pay £24,000 by the city council’s environmental health department. A report revealed rodent droppings were found on shelves in the store.
Meanwhile, live mice and cockroaches were found in the chip section of the store. The report stated that pest protection throughout the store was extremely poor and was generally dirty. It was also found that it was not registered with Birmingham City Council, so there was no food safety plan in place. The company that owned the shop was ordered to pay £20,000, along with costs of around £400.
Inventure Soho Road Ltd, based in Foleshill Road, Coventry, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 30 October 2025 to five offenses under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 relating to the condition of the store.
The outcome and details of the charge were later published in a report to Birmingham City Council’s licensing and public protection committee on 14 January.
“The facility was not kept clean and cleaning procedures were extremely poor, pest protection was also extremely poor and the structure of the facility was not suitable to allow access for pests,” the report said.
“There were live cockroaches in the crisps section, as well as a live mouse. Food contact items, fixtures and equipment were not being kept in good condition and repair, as retail shelves throughout the store were contaminated with rodent feces.”
He adds: “There were no permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. The business was not registered with Birmingham City Council.”
Manager Sanjay Patel said Birmingham Live this staff took responsibility and carried out a renovation and now has a four star rating.
“We are the new owner and took over in 2024. It was closed by the city on August 30 due to pest activity and we reopened on September 1,” he said.
“We pleaded guilty on October 30th. There was an open drain under the freezer area and we plugged it up. We carried out civil works and installed new freezers and shelving. There were no problems and we are doing well.”
