A Southall butcher has been hit with a £5,450 fine after Ealing Council inspectors uncovered mouse droppings and live beetles in the shop, prompting the council to order an emergency closure over what it said was an imminent risk to public health.
Council officers found mouse dropping on equipment, food preparation surfaces and next to takeaway containers at Hanif Halal Meat on The Broadway. Inspectors also discovered a nest of larder beetles in the butcher’s block and live beetles on the floor beneath a meat mincer.
The inspection in October 2024 also revealed a strong smell at the back of the premises caused by food debris in machinery and on a fridge seal. Officers said there were gaps under doors and in walls that could allow pests to enter.
Mohammed Hanif Khan, the shop’s owner, pleaded guilty to four offences at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 20 January 2026, including failing to keep the premises clean and failing to have adequate procedures in place to control pests.
He was fined £1,923 and ordered to pay £2,758.70 in court costs and a £769 victim surcharge, totalling £5,450.70.
The conditions were deemed an imminent risk to health and a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice forced the business to close until improvements were made. The shop was allowed to reopen after a further inspection on 31 October 2024 found significant improvements.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal said: “Rodent infestations in food businesses are completely unacceptable. The law on food hygiene standards is very clear, and this egregious breach of the rules put the shop’s customers at real risk of sickness. Our food safety team take swift action when a business does not observe the law.”
