B&M FINED £2M OVER MOUSE INFESTATIONS AT THREE BIRMINGHAM STORES

B&M Retail Ltd has been fined £2m by Birmingham City Council following prosecution for food hygiene offences at three of its stores in the city. Inspections at St Andrews Retail Park, Priory Square Shopping Centre and The Fort Shopping Park identified mouse infestations, droppings and gnawed food products across all three branches. The council's environmental health service conducted the investigations following complaints received between November 2024 and October 2025. All three stores were issued with Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices and closed immediately after failing inspections.

The first inspection took place at St Andrews Retail Park on 11 November 2024, after reports of pests on the premises. Officers found mouse droppings and gnawed food products on sale. The Priory Square Shopping Centre branch was inspected on 22 January 2025 following a public complaint of a mouse sighting inside the shop. That inspection revealed active mouse infestation, including urine contamination on food packaging and shelving, inadequate cleaning standards and structural defects that allowed pest entry. A third inspection at The Fort Shopping Park on 27 October 2025, prompted by complaints of mouse infestation, uncovered widespread mouse activity throughout the store, including droppings discovered near children's toys on display.

The council confirmed the findings in its prosecution of the retailer. B&M stated it was deeply sorry for the breaches. The fine represents one of the largest food hygiene penalties issued to the retailer in recent years and reflects the severity of the violations identified across the three locations.