UPDATE: Melton's Domino's Pizza shop re-opens after '˜removing risk to human health' since rat was found in customer waiting area

The Sherrard Street outlet re-opened yesterday evening.

Victoria Clarke, Melton Council’s environmental protection and safety manager, said: “The business went over and above what they were required to do. They cleaned everything to the nth degree, threw out any food which could have been contaminated and carried out pest proofing works.

“A senior environmental health officer visited the shop before it re-opened yesterday and was satisfied they had done all they could to remove any risk to human health.”

She added: “Ultimately we think the rat may have got in when the back door was open, it may have been that someone was putting rubbish out when it got in. There was evidence of gnawing on the back door which suggests it may have come from there and got locked in.

“There was no other activity other than one rat on one night but the shop carried out pest proofing works at the back door, to prevent entry, just in case.”

Domino’s Pizza spokeswoman Nina Arnott told the Melton Times yesterday that it immediately arranged for a pest control visit at the Melton shop following yesterday’s report of a lone rat in its customer waiting area.

She added: “We are proud of our ‘very high’ food hygiene rating in this store so it remained closed until we were 100 per cent satisfied this was an isolated incident. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”