Oldham Council has prosecuted a nursery and its directors for food hygiene offences after standards slipped.
An environmental health officer carried out a routine food hygiene inspection at Cornerhouse Day Nursery Ltd, Cross Street, Lees and found mouse droppings throughout the premises, including on top of open bags of pasta, on bibs, in boxes of children’s cups and bottles, on work surfaces and in the children’s playrooms.
Dirt was found on the flooring and there were holes in the back of kitchen cupboards that had not been pest proofed. Equipment, including the oven and the microwave, was found to be dirty.
Following the inspection the directors voluntarily agreed to close until a clean up could take place and the nursery was issued with a 0 rating – meaning urgent Improvement was necessary.
A further inspection a few days later found standards had improved and the nursery was allowed to reopen, but due to the seriousness of the issues discovered on the first visit legal proceedings were launched by the council.
After previously pleading guilty to two charges under Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations the directors and company were sentenced at Tameside Magistrates Court on November 22.
Cornerhouse Day Nursery Ltd was fined a total of £2,000 with costs of £1,087 and a victim surcharge of £800.
Alison O’Reilly was fined £380, with £350 costs and victim surcharge of £152 and her fellow director, Sadie Parsons, was also fined £461, with £350 costs and victim surcharge of £184
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