A judge yesterday ordered the closure of a grocery/butcher's shop after a health inspector found rat and mouse droppings throughout, including on a shelf where babies' soothers were stored.
Judge James McDonnell ordered the immediate closure of the premises, McNeill's of Darndale Shopping Centre, Dublin, in the interests of public health.
The Eastern Health Board had applied for the closure order following inspections in the last week and meetings with the co-proprietors, Mr Patrick McNeill and Mr Kevin Kenny.
Mr Kenny, who ran the butchery, told Dublin District Court he had ceased trading as soon as the inspector brought the problem to his attention.
Mr McNeill, who did not attend court, also agreed to close the premises voluntarily but failed to turn up for a meeting last Friday to arrange for the disposal of the remaining foodstuffs in the shop.
An environmental health officer, Mr Chris Counihan, said he first inspected the premises on May 18th and found standards of hygiene "very poor".
He revisited two days later and found areas of the floor where shelving had previously obscured views which were "seriously infested". Rat droppings were found in a rear fruit and vegetable area and mouse droppings in the shop area, including a cupboard.
On Friday, when he was due to meet Mr McNeill, more droppings were found on a shelf near babies' soothers. There was a very large gap in a rear door, providing rodents with easy access. There was a serious risk to health from staff coming in contact with areas where rodents had urinated.
Cooked and uncooked meats in the butchery were particularly at risk from contamination. The health board wanted all the food to be safely disposed of and pest-proofing measures introduced before the shop could reopen.
Judge McDonnell said he was satisfied the health board had ample grounds to make the application and he granted the closure order.