Merry Hill centre tea room which had mouse infestation cleaning up act as 'shocked' owners are fined
The owners of a tea room and gift shop which was found to have a mouse infestation in its kitchen say they are 'battling to survive'
Oopsy Daisies, at Merry Hill Shopping Centre, is run by husband-and-wife team Matthew and Elizabeth Robins, who appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court where they were fined after admitting five charges of failing to comply with food safety and hygiene regulations.
The charges related to a routine visit by Dudley Council's Environmental Health officers on January 4 last year where they found evidence of mice at the premises.
They applied for an emergency hygiene prohibition order, temporarily closing the team room, before a follow-up inspection a few days later found droppings in several areas of the premises.
The business was allowed to reopen a few days later with a one-star hygiene rating, but the court heard that has since been upgraded to three stars and the owners were working with bosses at Merry Hill to get it higher.
Ahmed Aziz, prosecuting for Dudley Council said at the time of the inspection, there was clear evidence of mice having been present at all areas of the operation, including on the food service counters, in the tea room where customers were eating and drinking and in the backroom areas, kitchens and refrigerators.
