Slough's Marwa grocery forced to close for unhygienic, mice-breading conditions

Friday, 7 September 2012 - 12:08am India News Bulletin

Marwa grocery store on the Slough High Street, which sells Asian sweets and ready meals too, was forced close by the council as it was “overrun with mice” and caused an imminent risk to public health.

Marwa superstore was closed on Monday, August 6 after the Slough Borough Council’s environmental health team visited the shop’s premises to investigate ongoing problems. The council health team immediately stopped Marwa owners from selling food items and served a hygiene emergency prohibition notice.

In addition to the problems of mice, there was no hot water in the sinks or hand wash basins in the shop area, there was no separation between the washing equipment area and food area and the place suffered from poor cleaning and disinfecting throughout, the investigative team noted.

The council is now applying to the magistrates court for a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order which will force the store to remain closed until environmental health officers are satisfied that people buying food from there are no longer at risk.

Marwa, 281 High Street, Slough is a large and busy grocery store which sells fresh food along with pizzas, rotisserie chicken and Asian and Indian sweets, according to the council.

“The combination of problems at Marwa, including hundreds of mice droppings on packets of food, food surfaces and around equipment meant we had no other option than to formally close the business until standards improve,” said Levine Whitham, senior environmental health officer, said.

The lack of hot water, lack of cleaning and disinfection, poor structure and poor staff understanding of the massive risk to people shopping there was very troubling, Whitham added.

The team forced the closure of Marwa grocery to make sure that no one’s health was put at risk.

The borough’s environmental health officers conduct health checks across hundreds of food premises in Slough.

“I shudder to think how many people may have bought unsafe food from this store and hopefully this closure will serve as a warning to any other food businesses thinking of ignoring safety and hygiene regulations,” James Walsh, commissioner for health and wellbeing, said.