Rat droppings were found during an inspection of a local food warehouse – leading to a fine in court for the company and its director.

Goodies Foods Mediterranean Ltd, trading at 2 separate addresses in Park Royal – Sabre House in Gorst Road and A B L House in Bashley Road, and its director, Taofik Rabah, of Kilpatrick Way, Hayes, appeared at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 February.

The company and its director pleaded guilty to 7 offences, including failing to have proper procedures in place to control pests and failing to protect food from contamination.

In total, they were fined £147,000, ordered to pay more than £11,000 in costs and victim surcharges of £4,000.

Rats in the warehouse

The court heard that council officers first visited the business at Sabre House in August 2024 for a routine food hygiene inspection. They found rat droppings on pallets, food packaging, and the floor, as well as a rat running across metal beams and food. Some food packaging had been gnawed at and some of the contents eaten by rats. Officers served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice on the business, forcing it to close until the problem was fixed.

The rodent problem was still unresolved when officers visited again in September 2024, so the business was told to stay closed. It was only allowed to reopen in October 2024 after significant improvements were made.

But, when officers returned again in March 2025, they found the same problems were still in evidence, including rat droppings on jars, tins, pallets, and boxes of condensed milk.  

At the second premises in Bashley Road, council officers carried out a series of inspections between June 2024 and March 2025, repeatedly identifying evidence of rats and structural issues that prevented effective pest control. Despite formal warnings and being issued 2 Hygiene Improvement Notices in September 2024, the business failed to address the problems. Multiple revisits found rat faeces on food pallets, floors and within packaging, as well as ongoing gaps, damaged walls, and uncapped drains that allowed pests to enter.

Goodies Foods Mediterranean Ltd is not included in the Food Hygiene Rating scheme because it supplies other businesses rather than the public directly.

The company was fined £140,000, ordered to pay £9,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000. Its director was fined £7,000, ordered to pay £2,469.70 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Protecting residents

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Food stored in facilities infested with rats is just not fit for human consumption. I am very pleased that the court recognised the seriousness of these offences and imposed appropriate fines. The council’s food safety team works hard to protect residents and support businesses to meet the standards expected. Where businesses fail to keep food safe, the council will take robust enforcement action.”

Find out more

You can check the hygiene rating of a food business on the Food Standards Agency website.

To tell the council about a food business that you have concerns about, email foodsafety@ealing.gov.uk or tradingstandards@ealing.gov.uk.