Health inspectors have shut a grocery store after packets of snacks and sweets gnawed by vermin were found.

Leicester City Council environmental health officers were allowed to shut down the Harshidhi Superstore, in Uppingham Road, Leicester, after visiting on Tuesday, March 2.

Mukesh Bhogaita, who has run the shop for about six months, cannot trade until council officials are satisfied the risk to public health has been removed.

A hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court was told the shop was visited after a business in the same block had suffered mouse infestation.

Environmental health officer Chris Ashton said he asked Mr Bhogaita if he had noticed any problems with mice. Mr Ashton said: "He said that he had, but only a small amount of activity."

Mr Ashton discovered mouse droppings on shelves, gnawed biscuits and packets of crisps on display.

He said: "There were also numerous droppings on the floor under the shelves and a noticeable smell of mice in the shop.

"I saw that some attempts had been made by Mr Bhogaita to catch mice using glue boards but there was no pest control contract in place."

He said he considered there was an imminent risk to health in the shop because of the mice and asked fellow officer David Howard to take pictures for evidence.

Mr Howard said the first thing he noticed in the shop was a smell of mice and he found droppings and sticky boards used to catch mice.

He found gnawed packets of crisps, biscuits and popcorn and greasy smear marks near bottled water where mice had climbed on and off shelves.

"The floor behind the bottled water was littered with mouse droppings," he said.

He said the front door had a gap under it, which allowed mice into the shop, and there were gaps in the wall.

Mr Bhogaita has been told to employ a pest control contractor to remove the mouse problem, block gaps with a hard, gnaw-proof material, clean away all mouse droppings, clean and disinfect all shelves and surfaces and throw all damaged food away before he can continue trading.

He was ordered to pay £357.38 legal costs by Leicester magistrates for a hygiene emergency prohibition order.

He did not object to the council's application.

District judge David Meredith said the costs had been kept to a minimum because Mr Bhogaita had co-operated and taken the inspectors' advice.

from http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk