Mouse droppings were found throughout a kitchen and under a service counter during a food safety inspection at a McDonald’s restaurant.
A senior environmental health officer found evidence of a rodent infestation at the branch — and warned it could pose a contamination risk.
The official found further mouse droppings, along with food debris and grease build up, under milkshake equipment and a trolley of chilled food items being readied for service at the franchise in Maidstone, Kent.
A report concluded ‘there is an active mouse infestation’ and ordered a ‘thorough’ clean up at the branch in The Mall Chequers Centre.
McDonald’s said that three subsequent visits found the premises to be ‘satisfactory’, with no further recommendations for action.
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Maidstone Borough Council confirmed to Metro today that it is has since re-inspected the premises and awarded the business four out of a maximum five stars for food hygiene.
The inspector wrote: ‘There was evidence of a current mouse infestation within the premises at the time of my visit.
‘I found mouse droppings in the main kitchen and servery, in the wash up area and dry store.
‘Droppings were on the floor under fridges and equipment, under food preparation benches, under food storage trolleys, on a plastic conduit under the serving counter and on the lower shelf in the dry store.’
A picture taken by the inspector shows droppings on a plastic conduit under a service counter.
Unwrapped food packaging, including burger boxes, was also discovered in a store room by the official on February 11 this year.
The report states: ‘I found mouse droppings in the store room on the lower shelves and throughout the kitchen and servery which may lead to contamination of food or food equipment.
‘Food and food equipment must be protected from contamination at all times.
‘Food and food equipment including wrapping material are to be stored in such a manner that they are not exposed to a risk of contamination.’
The document newly released under the Freedom of Information Act also contains pictures of grease underneath fryers at the restaurant, which was awarded one star for food hygiene at the time.
Franchise owners AMH Family Enterprises Ltd were told: ‘Droppings were on the floor under fridges and equipment, under food preparation benches, under food storage trolleys, on plastic conduit under the serving counter and on the lower shelf in the dry store during my visit.’
Holes and voids, including a gap under a door to The Mall, were identified by the inspector as being possible access points for rodents.
The restaurant was told: ‘You must carry out a thorough clean throughout the premises and maintain in a clean condition so you can see if there has been any rodent activity, reduce the risk of contamination and identify any areas where rodents may be entering the premises.’
Staff said they had ‘seen mice in the Mall’ but were ‘unaware’ of any current pest activity on the premises, according to the inspector.
The branch was marked ‘major improvement necessary’ in the rating, which was live on the Food Standards Agency website as of June 24.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said: ‘Hygiene and cleanliness are of the utmost importance to us and once we became aware of pest activity, we proactively closed the restaurant to complete a full sanitisation.
‘We have worked closely with our pest control company and the local authority to implement a number of measures to ensure that the high standards of hygiene our customers expect are maintained.’
The issues were part of a wider problem within the shopping centre and three subsequent environmental health visits proved ‘satisfactory’ with no further recommendations, according to the representative.
A spokesperson for the council said: ‘Maidstone Borough Council Food & Safety Team undertook an unannounced visit to McDonald’s, The Mall Maidstone, on 11 February 2025, which identified a series of contamination risks. The MBC Team has since revisited on 3 June 2025 and, having been satisfied with the works to address the situation, has re-rated the business to four stars.’
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