Birmingham Supermarket Fined £50k for Repeated Pest Infestations

A Birmingham supermarket where rodent and cockroach infestations were discovered on four separate occasions has been hit with a £50,000 fine.

Details of the Offences

Abdul Rehman, director of Azad Supermarket in Stratford Road, pleaded guilty to 11 charges against the company and 11 separate charges against himself, related to breaching the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations. The hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Thursday (May 22) heard how mice and rat droppings were found in food, storage areas, beneath shelves, and behind equipment, while live cockroaches were discovered in the butchery section. Dead mice were found on sticky boards under shelving, cockroaches in food preparation areas, and gnawed food was present in the supermarket.

Inspectors' Findings

Inspectors also noted inadequate procedures to ensure food safety and hygiene, with no system in place for pest control and cleaning. Two charges arose from a visit on September 6, 2024; another two from December 6, 2024; four from June 16, 2025; and the final three from November 5, 2025.

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Yasmin Osman, prosecuting, said: “This is a serious case of repeated and persistent breaches of hygiene regulations which pose a risk to public health. This is not an isolated incident. Despite formal enforcement action, checks of premises and a schedule of works, the issues occurred repeatedly.” She added that there had been a previous breach in 2018.

Defence Arguments

Muzir Waheed, defending, stated that the supermarket had addressed the issues and no longer posed a risk. Rehman had previously employed someone to oversee the business, but a new management structure was now in place. Waheed cited external drainage issues, bin strikes leading to rubbish dumping, and a neighbour’s building works as contributing factors. He noted that Rehman, aged 68, had no previous convictions, had suffered a heart attack, and was on medication for heart disease.