A nursery has been barred from feeding its children after environmental health inspectors found evidence of a mice infestation.
The kitchen at First Steps Day Nursery, in Uppingham Road, Leicester, was shut yesterday by officers from Leicester City Council after they discovered mouse droppings throughout the premises.
The inspectors also found poor standards of cleaning and no hot water at the kitchen sink.
The eight children who were at the nursery yesterday ate their lunch at the Baptist church next door. Usually 26 children use the nursery, but many were away for half-term holidays.
The nursery will not be able to serve food again until health officers are convinced its kitchen no longer poses a risk to health.
A notice has been posted on its entrance stating the reasons why its kitchen has been shut.
Nursery owner Laura Sheffield told the Leicester Mercury the problem would be sorted quickly.
Miss Sheffield, 29, said: "We have the environmental inspectors come and visit the nursery every few months or so.
"They haven't found anything before, but they did this time.
"We're in the middle of sorting it out and we have the pest control man in, but we're not allowed to serve food in the premises until the council are happy.
"We have hot water to the rest of the building, there is just a fault in the tap at the kitchen.
"Luckily, this building is connected to the church so the children can eat in there until we get this problem sorted."
David Barclay Rhodes, the council's food safety team manager, said the case would go before city magistrates tomorrow. The magistrates will decide whether to approve the closure order, known as an emergency prohibition notice, issued by the officers.
Mr Barclay Rhodes said yesterday: "Officers visited in the morning as part of a routine inspection.
"They found evidence of mice throughout the building and decided that there was an imminent risk to public health, so they applied the closure order. They will continue to visit to decide when the kitchen can be reopened."作者: lemonbunny 时间: 2008-2-14 17:13