Mouse droppings found in David Lloyd gym

Environmental health officers found mouse droppings in several areas of a David Lloyd gym in Derby, including in a children's play area and restaurant, council documents have shown.

Officials visited the Riverside Road site in October to investigate a complaint regarding pest activity.

A food hygiene inspection report, published by Derby City Council on Tuesday in response to a Freedom of information request, states officials found "evidence of mouse activity" in several areas of the gym.

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said it viewed any "shortfall in standards with the utmost seriousness" and was awaiting reassessment.

The food standards agency lists the branch of the gym chain as having a zero food hygiene rating following the inspection, which means urgent improvement is necessary.

The council report states: "Evidence of rodent activity was noted in the club room, servery counter and children's play area posing a risk to the public.

"I understand from reviewing your pest control records and discussions at the time of my visit that this issue has been ongoing for some time, without a satisfactory solution."

According to the report, the "evidence of mouse activity" was identified in the form of droppings throughout the servery, restaurant, children's play area and the reception area.

The document states: "Whilst overall general cleaning was visibly good, mouse droppings and smear marks were noted in several areas and difficult to reach places, which were dirty, such as to the rear of the servery in the clubhouse on plug sockets and appliances, to the rear of sofas in the children's play area and within the children's play structure.

"Droppings were noted in the reception area and the standard of cleaning to the rear of the reception desk was poor."

Inspectors said this was "unacceptable" and stated the branch must be cleaned "thoroughly", with "robust controls" implemented to ensure cleaning standards did not fail again.

The council report states there was "a significant issue" within the structure of the building and "numerous gaps and holes" were noted.

This provided access points for pests to move throughout the premises, the document adds.

The inspector strongly recommended the premises implement a robust cleaning schedule, any damage to the structure be urgently repaired and regular audits completed.

The report states: "During the inspection it became clear that your prerequisites in your food safety management system such as pest control and cleaning had failed largely due to a lack of pest proofing and ultimately this compromised food safety.

"As discussed, you must now review your controls and ensure that they are robust and reactive enough to manage your business effectively."

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said: "At David Lloyd Clubs, we take health and hygiene extremely seriously.

"Since their inspection in October last year, we have been working with the environmental health authority, all actions have been completed and we are now awaiting a reassessment of the facility.

"We want to reassure our members that we view any shortfall in standards with the utmost seriousness and we have implemented measures to ensure that this does not happen again."

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.