Council Issues Warning over Rogue Pest Control Firms
Businesses risk closure if relying on them for checks
Warning letters have been sent to 16 pest control companies operating in the borough
August 29, 2024
Ealing Council is warning local businesses to be careful which pest control services they use to check their premises.
The alert comes after inspections revealed issues after business owners had paid for checks and been given the all clear.
However, despite what the contractors claimed, hygiene inspections revealed infestations indicating that the checks were not done thoroughly or competently.
This put the businesses at risk of a negative report or even closure.
The council is urging venues to ensure they are using a legitimate company which will carry out checks professionally. It has issued warning letters to 16 pest control companies operating in the borough that have carried out poor jobs.
Leaflets are also being sent out to local businesses with helpful tips and information on how to check if their sites are pest-free and continue to meet the standards. This includes making sure holes or gaps at entry points are properly blocked off, and understanding who is responsible for pest proofing within their business.
Last year, officers inspected more than 2,100 food businesses, whilst also dealing with more than 1,000 complaints, referrals, and requests for advice. Over the course of 2023, 34 Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices were served to local businesses, with most due to pest control issues. Those businesses were required to stop trading immediately until they had made the necessary improvements.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said, “Our dedicated officers are doing a fantastic job to make sure the borough’s businesses maintain the highest possible hygiene standards.
“Local businesses should regularly check that their pest control contractors are reputable and delivering a high-quality service.”
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |