B&M fined £2m after Birmingham City Council found mouse infestations and contaminated food conditions at three Birmingham stores. The company was also ordered to pay £18,104 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge within 28 days.
The case reached Birmingham Magistrates' Court after a sentencing hearing on July 13, where B&M Retail Ltd pleaded guilty. The council said its Environmental Health Service investigated complaints across the city between November 2024 and October last year.
St Andrews Retail Park inspection
Inspectors visited the B&M store at St Andrews Retail Park on November 11, 2024, and found significant evidence of mouse activity. Birmingham City Council said officers saw mouse droppings and gnawed food products on sale, and a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served because of the serious risk to public health.
At Priory Square Shopping Centre, officers acted after a complaint from a member of the public who reported seeing a mouse in the shop. They found an active mouse infestation, gnawed food products, mouse droppings and urine contamination on food packaging and shelving, along with inadequate cleaning standards and structural defects allowing pest entry.
Priory Square Shopping Centre closure
A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served at Priory Square Shopping Centre and the store was closed immediately. At The Fort Shopping Park, officers made a further inspection on October 27, last year, after another complaint alleging a mouse infestation.
There, they found widespread mouse activity throughout the premises, including mouse droppings and gnawed food products on the shop floor and in storage areas. Mouse droppings were also found near children's toys on display, and the site was formally closed using another Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice.
The Fort Shopping Park ruling
Councillor Sam Forsyth, chair of the Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said the conditions identified by Environmental Health officers across the stores were unacceptable and required immediate intervention to protect the public. He also said residents rightly expect businesses operating in Birmingham to maintain high standards and provide safe environments for customers.
The case left two of the three stores closed immediately under emergency notices, while the court penalty was set at £2m. B&M Retail Ltd now faces the cost of the fine and related payments within 28 days, with no public detail in the case about what changes the company will make to correct the pest-control failures.
