RAT droppings and mould were found in a Herefordshire supermarket's warehouse, a food hygiene inspection report has revealed.

Leominster's Morrisons store was handed a hygiene rating of two, which means improvement is necessary, following the inspection on March 4.

Herefordshire Council confirmed that the Environmental Health team had received complaints regarding Morrisons Leominster and a site visit had taken place. 

A Morrisons spokesperson said: "Our local Environmental Health officer has visited our store and is satisfied that our warehouse is clean and tidy."

But the report said the standard of cleanliness and housekeeping in the warehouse was very poor in places, and generally poor throughout.

Inspectors said large accumulations of food waste and debris were found on the floor and wall junctions, which were sticky to the touch, while a milk spillage pointed out to staff by inspectors on their arrival was not cleaned up during the time they were on site.

"Towards the end of my inspection I had to remind staff again to clean the spillage," an inspector wrote.

Large amounts of food debris were also found behind food trollies and pallets, including a loaf of bread with a best before date of February 2020 and what looked to be raspberries, which had almost completely deteriorated.

Inspectors found trolleys used to store and transport food were not clean, and old food debris had accumulated on them.

Open foods such as baguettes were scattered on the floor and under shelving in the warehouse fridge and freezer units, and severe mould was found growing on the outside of containers.

The fronts of the doors to these units had significant accumulations of dirt and mould growth, the report said.

Evidence of rodent activity was also found, with an empty, gnawed package of cat treats found near the walk-in chiller.

"I also found a packet of sunflower seeds which also had small hole in, and what looked like two rat droppings were found on a food trolley opposite the storage compartment," the report said.