McDonald's got into big trouble with a £475,000 fine and an apology after a gross incident at their Leytonstone restaurant in East London. They found mouse poop in a cheeseburger, and that forced them to close the place for a few days. Tough break for McDonald's!


McDonald's is in big trouble with a nearly half-million-pound fine due to a stomach-turning incident.

Imagine being a drive-thru customer, enjoying your burger, only to find what looks like mouse droppings inside the food wrapper!

This disgusting encounter not only led to a hefty fine but also exposed an 'infestation' problem within the restaurant, casting a dark cloud over McDonald's reputation.

Following a customer's disturbing discovery, environmental health officers initiated an investigation that unveiled a severe and uncontrolled rodent infestation within the restaurant.

Their findings led them to declare an 'imminent risk' to public health, compelling them to issue a prompt order for the immediate closure of the Leytonstone, East London branch.

During the investigation, officers not only uncovered the decomposing remains of a mouse but also discovered rodent droppings extensively scattered throughout the restaurant.


There were mouse droppings all over the food preparation areas(Picture: SWNS)

These unsanitary findings were disturbingly present in critical areas such as food preparation zones, primary cooking areas, and hot food holding areas, intensifying concerns about food safety and public health.

The fast-food giant found itself in a courtroom battle with Waltham Forest Council, pleading guilty to three charges connected to hygiene breaches.
The verdict came down hard, with the company being ordered to pay a substantial £500,000 in fines and costs.

Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forest Council's Cabinet Member for Community Safety, emphasized the significance of ensuring customers' confidence in the cleanliness and safety of food preparation environments.

Cllr Limbajee said: "We are grateful for the quick thinking of the customer in this case for reporting the matter to the council for investigation.

"There was a significant risk posed to the health of residents and visitors to Waltham Forest and as such the Council had no option but to take formal action in this case.


The grease and dirt that had accumulated on the pipes(Picture: SWNS)

"McDonald’s is a large and well-experienced food business operator in the fast-food sector who serves thousands of meals per week to its customers, therefore the risk presented at the Leytonstone store was significant.



"It was appreciated that McDonald’s pleaded guilty and admitted wrongdoing at the first opportunity, however as a Council we take food hygiene seriously and won’t hesitate to follow up complaints and take action where appropriate, irrespective of who operates the food business.

"Residents and visitors should feel confident and assured that when they check a premises’ food hygiene rating in Waltham Forest, they know their food has been cooked in a clean and safe environment and that we take a zero-tolerance approach to serious hygiene contraventions."



Old food was found on the floor a well(Picture: SWNS)

Environmental health officers from Waltham Forest Council paid a visit to the restaurant in October 2021, prompted by a customer's complaint.

This dissatisfied patron had ordered their meal via the drive-thru service and was reportedly 'halfway through' their cheeseburger when they made a revolting discovery.

Upon inspecting the inside of the food wrapper, they came across what appeared to be a mouse dropping.

Appalled by their experience, the customer lodged a complaint with Waltham Forest Council, prompting the dispatch of environmental health officers to conduct an investigation at the Leytonstone restaurant.

Notably, the restaurant still maintains a meager 1.5-star rating on Trip Advisor, indicative of the severity of the issues uncovered during the investigation.

Environmental health officers made a grim discovery during their investigation at the restaurant, deeming the conditions to pose 'a real and imminent risk' to the health of customers dining there.


the infestation was found when a customer reported finding mouse poo in his burgerImage: Waltham Forest Council / SWNS

In response, the officers swiftly issued an order for the restaurant's immediate closure, even requiring several diners to leave their meals unfinished.

In the aftermath of this incident, McDonald's admitted guilt to three hygiene breaches, resulting in a substantial penalty of £475,000 along with an additional £22,000 in costs.
Subsequently, the branch has managed to achieve a more favourable hygiene rating of 4 (good), signifying marked improvements in their cleanliness and safety practices.

A statement from McDonald's said: "We apologise unreservedly for this incident and for any upset caused.


"We are committed to the highest standards of health, safety, quality and hygiene and in this instance we fell short of the standards we set ourselves across all our restaurants.

"We have worked closely with our Primary Authority, London Borough of Barnet, for many years on our food safety processes and controls, and whilst we have extensive food safety systems in place, unfortunately these were not adequately implemented at this restaurant on this occasion.

"Following the incident a full review of policy and procedures was undertaken at both a local and national level to ensure an issue of this nature does not occur again."