Fleetwood bakery's £11k mouse fine

A town centre bakery shop was littered with mouse droppings, a court heard.
The Home Bakery in Blakiston Street, Fleetwood. Pic courtesy of Google Street View.The Home Bakery in Blakiston Street, Fleetwood. Pic courtesy of Google Street View.
The Home Bakery in Blakiston Street, Fleetwood. Pic courtesy of Google Street View.

A town centre bakery shop was littered with mouse droppings, a court heard.

And the hygiene risk the mouse infestation cost the baker more than £11,000 yesterday.

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The Home Bakery in Blakiston Street, Fleetwood also had cooked meats stored at temperatures well above the approved level.

Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.

Home Bakery Ltd pleaded to three offences brought under Food Safety and Hygiene legislation by Wyre Council.

Mary Grimshaw, prosecuting for the council, said the retail premises were inspected twice in three months during 2016.

After the first inspection the outlet was given a two rating which advised that work needed to be carried out.

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Owner Michael Reaper demanded the rating be looked at again but on the second inspection health officers found conditions to be worse.

Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.

Mouse droppings were found all over the premises – on pie trays and a display cabinet.

There was dirty equipment at the shop and one store room had holes in the ceiling and mould on the walls.

Floor surfaces were also dirty and the prosecutor said: “There was a failure to do effective cleaning and hygiene checks.”

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Officers also did checks on food temperatures and meat was found at 13.3C when it should be stored no higher than 8C.

Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
Dirty floor at the Home Bakery on Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.

Officers thought there was an imminent risk to public healthy, Blackpool Magistrates heard, and for reasons of public safety asked for the premises to close.

That was done on a voluntary basis and director Reaper was interviewed under caution during which he admitted he thought it was difficult to ask elderly female members of staff to get on their hands and knees and clean under surfaces and equipment.

Reaper said £3,000 had been spent improving the premises which had re-opened and that forms staff needed to fill in had been redesigned and made easier for staff to follow.

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The magistrates were told that there had been staff failings which were “regrettable” but no food had been seized or complaints made about the food.

Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
Mouse droppings on pie tray at the Home Bakery, Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.

Magistrates fined Home Bakery £10,000, ordered it to pay £1,558 costs and £170 victims surcharge.

After the hearing, Councillor Vivien Taylor, Cabinet member with responsibility for food hygiene at Wyre Council, said: “Wyre Council takes food hygiene very seriously and if premises don’t comply I can assure you we will take action whenever and wherever necessary.

“I’d like to encourage members of the public to check food hygiene ratings before eating out or shopping for food.”

The public can check the food hygiene ratings of every food business in Wyre at ratings.food.gov.uk.

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