JDW confirmed there was a rodent sighting at the Lynd Cross in Horsham and officers from the council’s environmental health department had spoken with the manager.
The pub group also said the site was on an old sewer line, which could have caused the problem.
Number of measures
JDW spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We can confirm that a mouse was spotted at the pub and the council’s environmental health officers (EHO) have spoken with the manager.
“The EHO asked for a number of measures to be implemented and that is happening at present. The pub sits on the site of an old sewer line and we believe this is the cause of the problem.
“We are working with our pest control contractors to solve the issue.”
Anderson Food Hygiene advised operators on how to avoid rat and other pest infestations by preventing rubbish build-ups and filling up gaps in walls.
Bad publicity
Managing director and food hygiene expert Sylvia Anderson said: “We see many landlords and pub owners not adhering to some simple steps to eradicate or prevent pests within their own pubs or using a cheaper pest control company, which can result in bad publicity.
“What we would recommend is for pub owners or landlords to take a preventative or proactive approach to pests rather than try to control a problem. The key is to prevent it in the first place.”
Anderson also added that brown rats were a problem all year round, particularly in town centre buildings where there was the possibility of rubbish build-up and town drainage.
She added: “Country pubs near farms and arable lands or canals will also suffer. It is important the landlord controls rubbish build-up, blocks up any gaps in walls or floors, make sure doors are kept closed, rubbish is stored in rodent-proof bins and ensures all drain covers are fitted correctly and are not broken – missing drain covers are the usual entry for rats.”
