Shop owner jailed over dead rat

A shopkeeper has been jailed and his wife given a suspended sentence after health inspectors found a dead rat and gnawed food in their shop close to the Powys/Shropshire border.

David Searle, 44, and his 45-year-old wife Kim, of Ashfield Stores and Post Office, Llanymynech, were sentenced yesterday having admitted placing the health of their customers and staff at risk.

Welshpool Magistrates Court heard environmental health officers found a dead rat, droppings and gnawed and empty chocolate and crisp packets at the shop.

Magistrates said they were appalled at the risk the shop had posed to public health.

The couple admitted failing to keep food premises in good repair and condition, failing to ensure adequate pest control procedures were in place and failing to provide adequate facilities for good food hygiene practices - the second time they had been in court for food hygiene offences.

Mr Searle was jailed for 12 weeks and his wife was given a 12-week term, suspended for two years, and made subject to a 12-month supervision order.

Presiding magistrate Gwilym Humphreys said: "You were negligent and reckless in your duties. You not only put the public at risk of disease, but you put at risk the health and safety of your employees.

"We have decided not to impose the prohibition order, banning the sale of food at the shop because the council has allowed trading to continue since their inspection."

Nigel Vaughan, prosecuting, told the court Powys County Council environmental health officers received a complaint about a bad smell at Ashfield Stores on July 4 last year.

Upon inspection they found a blackened and mouldy ceiling in the rear storeroom, rodent droppings on shelves and boxes, gnawed electric cables, a dead rat and gnawed and empty food packets including chocolate buttons and crisps.

Mr Vaughan said officers feared food could have become contaminated at any point.

He said the couple were fined £12,000 in 2006 after admitting 26 offences under food hygiene rules.

Earl Pinnock, mitigating, said the store had reopened days after last year's inspection, standards had improved and all necessary repairs had been undertaken. The couple had experienced financial difficulties and were in the process of selling the store.

He said: "Mrs Searle has been experiencing health difficulties and has been on incapacity benefit for the last five years.

"Her condition is an auto-immune deficiency, a degenerative condition involving severe muscular pain and she has been unable to play a role in the shop for some time."

* Professional business transfer agency SBS Commercial is offering the business for sale for £295,950.

The firm says: "It is only now being offered to the market due to our client's ill health.

"This is the main shop serving the village and surrounding areas and has the added benefit of being the only post office in the area, apart from Oswestry, that issues vehicle tax discs."

By Anwen Evans