A children’s nursery in Marcham was ordered to pay a fine and costs totaling £6740 after an inspection by the Vale of White Horse District Council found mouse droppings in their kitchen. Helen Scott-Corcoran and Kaye Merriman of Marcham Little Angels pleaded guilty to charges of three breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations on 15 August 2016 at Oxford Magistrates’ Court. The district council found evidence of mouse activity at the nursery during a routine food inspection on 19 October 2015. The kitchen, which was used to prepare food and drink served to babies and young children, was in a filthy condition with a build-up of dirt, gnawed materials, and a large amount of mouse droppings both in the kitchen and where children could access them in the nursery. Both Ms Scott-Corcoran and Ms Merriman admitted that they had previously caught a mouse in the kitchen, but didn’t take any further action. Following the inspection, they voluntarily closed the kitchen as they had access to facilities in a building nearby that was clean and already used for the after school club. Since the incident, the nursery has put in place a pest control contract, has been thoroughly cleaned and pest-proofed, and there are food safety management procedures in place complete with staff training. Councillor Elaine Ware, cabinet member for environmental health at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “I think people will be shocked to find that young children and babies were being fed food prepared in a kitchen like this.” “We’re satisfied that the business now has the right procedures in place, but they’ve had to pay a very high price for something that really shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and we hope this will serve as a stern warning to other organisations and make sure they have their houses in order.”