Rat infestation forces busy supermarket to shut as inspection finds 'poor hygiene levels'

A was forced to shut its doors after a council slapped them with a hygiene notice amid stories of a supposed rat infestation.

The Chingford branch was found to have an "active rat and mice infestation" according to documents from Waltham Forest Council's food and safety crew. A dossier bespeaks of very poor standards of cleaning and a leaking foul water debacle at the branch located on Chingford Road.

A legal battle looms over the matter as gears up for court, while the date when shoppers can return is unclear. 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 store in Chingford.

READ MORE:

"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 - 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 has contacted Morrisons for comment.