St Andrew’s Retail Park had been the first of the three sites visited by environmental health officers and followed “reports of pests on the premises”.
The council said significant evidence of mouse activity was found by officers who went to the site on 11 November, 2024, and it led to a a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice being served.
The firm pleaded guilty to the offences at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was fined £2m at a sentencing hearing on 13 July.
B&M Retail Limited was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £18,104 and a £2,000 victim surcharge. It was told to pay the fine and costs within 28 days.
“Residents rightly expect businesses operating in Birmingham to maintain high standards and provide safe environments for customers,” said councillor Sam Forsyth, chair of the Licensing and Public Protection Committee.
She said the conditions found by the environmental health officers across the three stores were “unacceptable and required immediate intervention to protect the public”.
Forsyth added: “This substantial court penalty reflects the seriousness of the offences and sends a clear message that businesses must take their responsibilities seriously.”
B&M said in a statement: “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 spokesperson said the company had since taken “comprehensive action to strengthen controls across our business”, which included enhanced management oversight, a significant expansion of its pest-control capability; new digital monitoring processes and increased third-party pest control visits across its estate.
These changes were designed so issues were addressed promptly and consistently, they added.
“We remain fully committed to meeting high standards of food safety and maintaining safe, clean and hygienic stores,” they said.
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