A supermarket cafe has been told to clean up its act after food hygiene inspectors found evidence of rodents in its kitchen.

Asda Living Cafe in Prospect Place, Dartford, was given a one-star rating after an inspection in October last year – the second-lowest hygiene ranking possible.

Operated by third-party Compass Group, the eatery was also told it needed to tackle poor food hygiene and handling practices – including retaining food past its use-by date.

Inspectors from Dartford Borough Council said: “At the time of the inspection, evidence of mouse activity was found at numerous locations, including on the floor under the oven in the kitchen, on the floor in the kitchen where equipment and Christmas decorations were stored and in the cabinet behind the sink in the servery area.

“Mice are a food safety problem because they can carry diseases on their body and in their bodily fluids.

“It is strongly suggested that a professional pest control contractor registered with the British Pest Control Association is used to carry out this work.”

Elsewhere, multiple areas were found to be in need of a thorough clean including the fridges and freezers, shelves and floors underneath kitchen appliances.

Mouse droppings and debris were found under various pieces of kitchen equipment including the oven.

Bacon, chips and hash browns were just some of the food items found to be kept in fridges beyond their use-by date.

Additionally, some containers of food such as cooked sausages, sandwich fillers and cheese had no date labelling.

Food safety officers said: “Food beyond its 'use-by' date is automatically classed as unsafe and must be disposed of by the end of the 'use-by' date.

“A comprehensive stock management system must be established and detailed in your food safety management system.”

High-risk foods were being kept in fridges at incorrect temperatures, which could lead to the growth of food poisoning bacteria or the formation of toxins.

It was also found staff were not using the hand wash basin regularly, with one employee being spotted serving customers without washing their hands between leaving the premises to let a delivery enter.

The sinks were also discovered to be missing liquid soap, with workers being told to get this sorted to allow for proper and effective handwashing.

Chopping boards in the kitchen were found to be heavily scored, potentially preventing effective cleaning.

Bosses were told to replace the damaged cooking accessories to prevent any possible food contamination issues.

Inspectors told the cafe its staff members were not following the practices and procedures laid out in food safety management systems.

Entries in the records required by law in food safety management systems were missing, with the eatery being warned this needed to change.

An Asda spokesperson told KentOnline: “We take the hygiene of our cafés extremely seriously and can reassure customers that all of the issues identified in this inspection in October last year, have since been rectified.

“We will be working with our partners to apply for a re-rating and expect to receive a rating that reflects the high standards that we set ourselves."