Cockroaches and mouse droppings found in Subway during food hygiene inspection

A Subway restaurant must make major improvements after mouse droppings and cockroaches were found during a food hygiene inspection in Derby.

The branch on Normanton Road was visited by environmental health officers on September 28 and received a rating of one out of five, after evidence of the pests was found in backroom areas.

It was also found to be using operation manuals from 2018, but the report from Derby City Council - accessed via a Freedom of Information request - did say that the risk to customers was minimal due to good food storage and preparation procedures.

However, the report said: "As you are aware mice carry food poisoning bacteria and can contaminate food and food surfaces that they come into contact with."

"At the time of our visit there was a minimal amount of food exposed to the risk due to the way that you prepare and store your food."

It added: "In addition to this you had a pest control contractor employed to treat the mouse/cockroach infestation."

Now, the outlet has been told they must ensure that he completes a full survey of your premises to identify any gaps or holes that could allow pest access.

"Any access points identified must be pest-proofed to deny access." the report said.

"It is important that you follow your pest controllers’ instructions in a timely manner. "

"Whilst you have an active mouse infestation, to remain trading you must ensure that the risk to public health is managed."

The outlet was found to be in need of improvement when it came to hygienic food handling and major improvement in management of food safety, but was deemed generally satisfactory when it came to cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building.

Inspectors said they found a gap in a door which needed to be sealed in order to prevent pest infestations and reminded the restaurant that it needed to regularly check the site to ensure no new structural problems had emerged.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Subway said: "The health and safety of all guests is of paramount importance to Subway® and all stores are regularly audited to ensure compliance.

"Subway Franchise Owners are expected to maintain high food safety standards in their stores.

"The franchisee of this particular store has taken immediate action to resolve this issue and another inspection has been scheduled."

A one-out-of-five rating means major improvement is necessary, with a zero-out-of-five rating meaning that urgent improvement is needed and can allow local authorities to temporarily close establishments if they pose a risk to public safety.

A rating of three or higher means a business is broadly compliant with food safety regulations, which are set by the Food Standards Agency and enforced by councils.

After a business is inspected, the council has 14 days to inform operators of the scoring decision.

The business then has 21 days to appeal against that decision and only after this can we at Derbyshire Live submit a Freedom of Information request, which can take up to 20 working days to be provided.

Once we receive the information in the reports via Freedom of Information requests, we again contact the business in question for comment to see what action it has taken before publishing the findings of the report.

The outlet's food hygiene score was correct as of November 29, 2021.