Discount retailer B&M has been fined £2 million after inspectors found mouse infestations in three of its stores across Birmingham, UK.

The company was prosecuted by Birmingham City Council for food hygiene offences after complaints led to inspections being carried out between November 2024 and October 2025.

The stores, located at St Andrews Retail Park, Priory Square Shopping Centre and The Fort Shopping Park, were all found to have “significant evidence of mouse activity”, the council said. The Priory Square and Fort Shopping Park locations were both closed immediately after finding evidence including gnawed food products, urine contaminations, and mouse droppings “in close proximity” to children’s toys on display.

B&M pled guilty to the offences at magistrates’ court on 13 July and was ordered to pay a £2 million fine alongside £20,000 in additional costs.

Councillor Sam Forsyth, chair of Birmingham’s licensing and public protection committee, said that residents of the city rightly expect businesses to maintain high standards and provide safe environments for customers.

“I welcome the work of our Environmental Health teams in identifying these risks and taking swift action,” he added. “This substantial court penalty reflects the seriousness of the offences and sends a clear message that businesses must take their responsibilities seriously. Birmingham City Council will continue to take robust enforcement action where necessary to protect residents and ensure standards are upheld across the city.”

In a statement to the BBC, B&M said: “We are deeply sorry for the failings identified in the three stores and have taken full responsibility.

“While food safety and pest-control procedures were in place in each store, those procedures were not followed. That should not have happened. We recognise that these failures were unacceptable and that we must learn from them.”

A company spokesperson added that the company had since taken “comprehensive action to strengthen controls across our business”, including third-party pest control visits, new digital monitoring processes, and enhanced management oversight.

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