A HEREFORDSHIRE supermarket has been handed a top rating by food hygiene inspectors, a year after severe mould and evidence of rodents were found in its warehouse.

Leominster's Morrisons store was handed a hygiene rating of two, which means improvement is necessary, after rat droppings and mould were found during an inspection on March 4 last year.

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

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

But the inspectors' report said the standard of cleanliness and housekeeping in the warehouse was very poor in places, and generally poor throughout, with large accumulations of food waste and debris found on the floor, behind trollies and pallets, and on wall junctions, while a milk spillage pointed out to staff by inspectors on their arrival was not cleaned up during the time they were on site.

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Open foods 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 and rat droppings found on a trolley.

But a new report shows the Leominster supermarket has really cleaned up its act earning the top food hygiene rating of five.

The hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage was found to be very good during a reinspection on March 31 this year.

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene was rated as good, while inspectors were also satisfied there were systems to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future, also rating food safety as good.