Rat droppings and crawling cockroaches in Middlesbrough shop branded 'nothing short of disgrace'

Дата публикации: 15-07-2026 12:51:45

The Authentic African Food Store on Kings Road, North Ormesby has been given a hygiene emergency prohibition order, closing it down

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The Authentic African Food Store on Kings Road, North Ormesby has been given a hygiene emergency prohibition order, closing it down

A shop found littered with rat droppings and dead cockroaches and flies has been closed down with an emergency court order.

The Authentic African Food Store on Kings Road, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough has been given a "hygiene emergency prohibition order" by Teesside magistrates. The order bans a food business at a premises where there is an "imminent risk of injury to health".

In court, the prosecutor for Middlesbrough Council said its officers' findings at the shop were "nothing short of a disgrace". A shop manager has responded, saying most issues had been resolved and they were waiting for pest control.

Prosecutor Thomas Durance said two officers went to the shop following complaints of smells and rotten fruit and vegetables to the council: "When they attended on July 9 they were met with smells, and they were met by the manager of the shop. It was pretty obvious just from the naked eye that there were issues within the shop."

He referred to "smells and sights" witnessed by the officers and pictures they took, including:

• Dead flies on an electric fly killer around sink and floor surfaces, in the same area where large bags of stock like beans and grain were piled up;
• Rat droppings found on the floor and on plastic packaging in the butchery area, behind chest freezers, on plastic bread crates, sacks of dried ingredients and shelves carrying fruit and vegetables;
• Dead cockroaches on workbenches and cockroach faeces in the butchery area and crawling cockroaches on plastic bread crates.

Mr Durance told Teesside Magistrates' Court yesterday (July 13): "This was a pretty obvious problem that hadn't been addressed, which was extremely worrying. The officers were extremely concerned.

"The notice was served there and then. The food business operator must cease to do so effectively, stop selling fruit and vegetables or products from the shop, don't do it until you're told otherwise.

"You've seen the pictures. To put it quite frankly it's nothing short of a disgrace.

"People are buying their fruit and veg and other products here. You've seen and heard that there's rat droppings amongst the retail products. It's just unacceptable."

The council sought the hygiene emergency prohibition order under the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013, having served the notice attached to the shop shutters which read: "Widespread evidence of rat activity in the premises (droppings, urine, gnawed packaging.

"Widespread evidence of cockroach activity, all life cycle stages observed. Unsatisfactory levels of cleanliness identified. Unsafe foods (mouldy vegetables and fruit)."

Mr Durance said the company which owned the shop had been registered in Hull, where the authorities had "had similar issues". He added: "Hull have spoken to the sole director. He said he's not in the country and said somebody would be here.

"They aren't here," he told the court, where the shop was not represented.

'The level of cleaning has increased'

Peter Charlton, chairing the magistrates' bench, said: "The bench is happy and satisfied that this application for a hygiene emergency prohibition order is approved." He also approved a £1,200 costs application for the council to recover costs and fees from the shop business.

The shop's retail manager Seyanu Olaoye told the Local Democracy Reporting Service today: "I've been taking a lot of measures. Pest control have been involved and the level of cleaning has increased.

"All issues of concern have actually been sorted. We're just waiting on pest control to come in and do a thorough check, and we'll be able to proceed for another inspection.

"A lot of cleaning has been going on since Friday. I'm going back to do another clean and cleaning is being done on a regular basis."

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