B&M Retail Ltd has been hit with a £2 million fine after a council inspection revealed pest infestations in three of its Birmingham stores.
Birmingham City Council’s environmental health service inspected the stores after receiving multiple complaints between November 2024 and October 2025.
Council officers found clear evidence of mouse infestations, droppings and gnawed food products at B&M’s St Andrews Retail Park, Priory Square Shopping Centre and The Fort Shopping Park stores.
Inspectors visited the St Andrews store on 11 November 2024 after reports of pests on the premises. During their visit, they found significant evidence of mouse activity, including droppings and gnawed food products on sale.
Due to the serious risk to public health, a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served.
An inspection on 22 January 2025 at Priory Square was prompted by a complaint from a customer who said they had seen a mouse in the shop.
Officers found evidence of an active mouse infestation, including gnawed food products, mouse droppings and urine contamination on food packaging and shelving, as well as inadequate cleaning standards and structural defects that allowed pest entry.
A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served and the store was closed immediately.
A third inspection, carried out on 27 October 2025 at The Fort Shopping Park, followed similar complaints and uncovered widespread evidence of mouse activity throughout the premises, including droppings and gnawed food products on the shop floor and in storage areas.
Alarmingly, mouse droppings were also found near children’s toys on display.
Another Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served and the store was also closed immediately.
Pleading guilty to the offences at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 13 July 2026, B&M Retail was ordered to pay a £2 million fine, prosecution costs of £18,104 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
Following the case, Sam Forsyth, chair of the Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: *“Residents rightly expect businesses operating in Birmingham to maintain high standards and provide safe environments for customers.
“The health and wellbeing of Birmingham residents will always come first, and the conditions identified by our environmental health officers across these stores were unacceptable and required immediate intervention to protect the public.”
He added: “I welcome the work of our environmental health teams in identifying these risks and taking swift action. This substantial court penalty reflects the seriousness of the offences and sends a clear message that businesses must take their responsibilities seriously.
“Birmingham City Council will continue to take robust enforcement action where necessary to protect residents and ensure standards are upheld across the city.”
Food Safety Manager Claire Lucas, from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said: “This case highlights the potentially serious consequences when food hygiene standards are not maintained, and pest control measures fail.
“Regardless of whether a business operates a single premises or hundreds of sites across the country, there is a responsibility to ensure food is stored, handled and sold in a way that protects customers from harm.
“Effective cleaning procedures, thorough staff training and strong management oversight should be fundamental parts of running any food business. Businesses must ensure employees understand the signs of pest activity, know how to report concerns promptly and are supported by clear procedures that are consistently followed.
