AN Oldham shop has undergone a "deep clean" after mouse droppings were found during a food hygiene inspection.

During a routine inspection at Ideal Foods on Sylvan Street, Oldham on May 19 officers uncovered “evidence of mice” on the floor in the butcher’s area and shop.

In response to the sighting, inspectors urged staff at the store to carry out a “thorough deep clean” and to “call out pest control (immediately)” in a written report.

This month on July 14, officers revisited Ideal Foods and found “no evidence of mice” in the butcher’s area but spotted a “couple of droppings” on the floor of the shop.

The droppings discovery, led to staff at the store embarking on an immediate “deep clean” of all areas, under the recommendation of officers.

The owner of Ideal Foods confirmed the deep clean had taken place and told The Oldham Times that following the revisit to the store in July, food safety inspectors are “happy” with the work staff have carried out “according to their previous instructions and orders”.

After the May inspection Ideal foods was given an overall food hygiene rating of two stars, meaning improvements are necessary. An improvement notice was served but the date for the next inspection has yet to be set, according to the owner.

Under the Food Hygiene and Safety category the store was ranked as fair, signalling some non-compliance with statutory obligations.

Inspectors meanwhile ranked the Confidence in Management as little, meaning there was a varying record of compliance, a poor appreciation of hazards and no food safety management system.

Structural Compliance was ranked as poor, indicating some major non-compliance with statutory obligations.

Aside from a “thorough deep clean” and a pest control call out, recommendations within the May report included immediately adding a hand soap to the wash hand basin in the butchers and putting a guard on the meat saw.

Officers also called for the cardboard in the walk-in freezer to be removed immediately and for any holes in the floor, especially in the butchers, to be filled.

Members of the public can check the hygiene ratings of food businesses on the Food Standards Agency website.