Mice try: Eddie Catz children's play centre that told Wimbledon Guardian zero hygiene rating was "technical" had large-scale mice infestation

And it involves rodents.

When the Wimbledon Guardian asked Eddie Catz in Colliers Wood, why it was one of eight businesses in Merton to get a zero food hygiene rating last year - it blamed "a technical issue".

February 25: In pictures: Merton's least hygienic places to eat revealed

But a Freedom of Information request by this paper to Merton Council revealed the real reason its inspectors rated Eddie Catz, which does not allow any food other than baby food to be brought in from outside, in need of urgent improvement in December 2015.

Inspectors found a large scale infestation of mice which could have led to a serious risk or imminent risk to health when they visited on November 16 last year.

Mice droppings were found on food equipment and utensils, kitchen shelving used to store food equipment, on food preparation services and in party rooms.

Confronted with the report, its co-founder and CEO Darren Johnson, admitted today: “The technical issue was that mice were coming through a hole in the back of the building.

“We chose to close temporarily. We got pest control to go around telling us where exactly treatment was needed, and we took action.

“We ask pest control to come back regularly to check everything for us. They came last week and there was no sign of mice. They came a month ago and there was no sign of mice.”

He added: “It’s totally under control now. We had a five rating before that. It was a blip at the time and we got it reinstated immediately.”

Mr Johnson insisted that the droppings were found behind radiators and skirting boards and would not have been seen by staff or the public, and that the inspector had arrived prior to the usual morning clean of the kitchens.

His wife and fellow co-owner and CEO, Maria Johnson, argued that the mice were a London-wide issue caused by global warming and milder winters. 

She said: "The real question is what are Merton and Wandsworth councils doing to support and counter the real mouse problem across the boroughs in general?"

It is not clear what parents understood about the cause of the rating, or if they were told about it at the time.

Responding to Eddie Catz being named in a Wimbledon Guardian article about restaurants with a zero hygiene rating, Maria Johnson wrote in a series of comments on Facebook on February 25, saying:

“I am the owner of Eddie Catz – we had our stars suspended for two months due to an issue in the kitchen and they have been fully reinstated to the five star rating and the website is not up to date.

“For those of you not in the food business, you need to put this in perspective as you can lose a star on a very small technical matter.

“This could have been down to a sink being blocked at the moment they visited, or temperature check being left off or some technicality.

"Thanks Wimbledon Guardian for ruining my day – get your facts straight next time."

The inspection report said: “It came to light very quickly that there was a large scale mice infestation in the kitchen, café and storeroom.

"The conditions found were such that there was an imminent risk of injury to health if the kitchen continued to trade as there was a significant risk of food being contaminated due to the extensive mice droppings found."

To read the Eddie Catz hygiene report from December for yourself, click here: Eddie Catz hygiene report.pdf

Mice droppings were found on food equipment and utensils, kitchen shelving used to store food equipment, on food preparation services and in party rooms.

The report, dated December 11, acknowledged that the infestation had been brought under control, but warned that the cleaning and disinfection procedures missed by staff prior to handling food had “presented an imminent risk to health.”

It also said: "It was very clear that there had been a complete breakdown in management control to allow an infestation to get so out of control.

"An infestation of this scale could have led to serious injury to health."

Sherwood School, in Abbotts Road, Mitcham, also got a zero rating last year. Both the school and Eddie Katz have since had a top hygiene rating of five reinstated.

The kitchen in Sherwood School was closed from October 22 to 30 last year after it was found to have an “unacceptable extensive mice infestation throughout the kitchen and dining hall."

A report on the school says mouse droppings were found on the lids of containers, on food utensils including a colander, on a tea towel, on the shelf underneath the salad bar in the dining hall and on the under shelf of a table containing cloths.

To read the Sherwood School hygiene report from November, click here: Sherwood School hygiene report.pdf

The report says effective checks for pests were being missed, along with adequate cleaning and disinfection, and warns that “an infestation of this scale could have led to a serious injury to health”.

Sherwood School has been contacted for comment.

Cabinet member for environmental cleanliness and parking, Councillor Judy Saunders said: “We demand high standards from our food businesses as the public need to be safe in the knowledge that they are eating or buying food from hygienic premises.

"We work closely with those businesses who need to improve their scores by advising them on the actions they need to take and giving them a timetable to adhere to.

"Our work with businesses helps with transforming how they manage their property and it is good to see examples of how some, like Eddie Cats, turn themselves around and score the highest possible five.”