Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Popular Merton convenience store reopens following closure on hygiene grounds

Popular Merton convenience store reopens following closure on hygiene grounds
Rat droppings and evidence of an infestation were present throughout the shop (Photo: Merton Council via LDRS)

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

A popular mini market in Lower Morden has reopened after the council issued its immediate closure on hygiene grounds.


Grand Fresh Market, which sells everything from rice to fresh fruit, was closed immediately following an inspection by the food hygiene standard body on December 12.

Merton Council’s food hygiene inspectors discovered an active rat infestation and contaminated foodstuffs following a tip-off from a customer who had recently spotted the vermin during a shopping trip.

Inspectors found that rats had inhabited areas near fresh and tinned food, with clear evidence of droppings being found on a number of products. According to the council, the rats targeted lentils, biscuits, and tea bags in particular.

Merton deemed the situation so severe it posed an imminent risk to public health. Once a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served, the premises on Grand Drive were closed until further notice. The Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order was awarded during a hearing at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on December 19.

The store has been allowed to reopen as Merton’s environmental health team is now satisfied the issues have been rectified. However, despite the recent closure, the South London council was first made aware of the shop’s hygiene issues back in March 2022 when Food Hygiene inspectors said ‘major improvement was necessary.

This previous inspection, which awarded the shop a one out of five hygiene rating on March 9, 2022, means that Merton council was aware of issues at the property for almost two years.

In response a spokesperson from Merton council added: “We regularly inspect food businesses and the last routine food hygiene inspection was carried out on 07/02/2023, no rats were seen inside the premises during this visit.”

Councillor Eleanor Stringer, Cabinet Member for Civic Pride told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Rogue premises such as these cannot be tolerated. We’re grateful to members of the public who report substandard or unhygienic businesses to the Council, so we can swiftly address any risk to public health.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)

More for you

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January

A file photo of Buns and Buns restaurant in Covent Garden Market, London. Sectors like accommodation and food services are expected to be hit hard by higher living wage and employer national insurance contributions in April.

Photo: iStock

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January in blow to government

Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank in January, official data showed Friday, piling more pressure on the Labour government ahead of its Spring Statement on the economy.

Gross domestic product contracted 0.1 per cent in the month after GDP rose 0.4 per cent in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey

Barrels of bourbon are stacked in a barrel house at the Jim Beam Distillery on February 17, 2020 in Clermont, Kentucky.

Photo by Bryan Woolston/Getty Images

Trump threatens 200 per cent tariff on European alcohol

US president Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200 per cent tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe, opening a new front in a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised recession fears.

Stocks fell on the news, as investors worried that Trump would enact stiffer trade barriers around the world's largest consumer market. The S&P 500 finished the day more than 10 per cent below its record high reached last month, confirming the benchmark index for US stocks is in a correction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gloucestershire Trading Standards underage test purchase operation

Products containing corrosive substances sold to minors by Gloucestershire shops

Photo: Gloucestershire County Council

Eight out of 10 Gloucestershire shops found selling corrosives to minors

An undercover operation by Gloucestershire Trading Standards has found most shops in the county selling products containing corrosive substances to underage buyers.

In total, 10 stores were visited and eight made sales to underage volunteers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Bacon appointed as NewstrAid Operations Manager replacing Tom Rodger

Paul Bacon joins NewstrAid as Operations Manager

NewstrAid appoints Paul Bacon as new Operations Manager

Industry charity, NewstrAid, has announced the appointment of Paul Bacon to the role of Operations Manager.

Paul will join the NewstrAid team from 17 March and will take over from Tom Rodger, who is retiring at the end of the month.

Keep ReadingShow less
 ATM machine
Brits pull out nearly £80bn from LINK ATMs in 2024
Photo: iStock

Uneven transition: Where cash still clings on in Britain

The UK’s transition away from cash continues to accelerate, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by LINK, the UK's cash access and ATM network.

While the trend towards a low-cash society is clear, the pace of this shift varies significantly across the country, indicating a complex and evolving payment landscape.

Keep ReadingShow less