A KFC that was forced to close after it became infested with rats has reopened.

The fast food store in Wimbledon, The Broadway had been closed since November 23.

A notice was placed in the window by Merton Council's food safety and hygiene team which explained the disgusting reasons why.

"There is an imminent risk to health due to an infestation serious enough to result in the actual contamination of food and a significant risk of contamination of rat droppings were found throughout the kitchen and storeroom," the council's notice said.

RELATED: Rat infestation at Wimbledon KFC forces temporary closure

At the time, a KFC spokesman said they were confident it was an isolated issue and that they hoped to reopen the store as soon as possible.

That time is now as less than a month later the store is back up and running.

"We’ve been working closely with the EHO since the issue was discovered and have taken considerable steps to ensure that there is no longer a problem," the spokesman said.

"This includes a full deep-clean of the restaurant and a significant review of our pest control processes.

"Both the team and the EHO officer are really happy with the progress that’s been made and we’ve applied for a re-rating from the FSA where we’re confident we’ll achieve a high score.”

Merton Council’s cabinet member for community and culture, Nick Draper, said: “We take our regulatory role extremely seriously and the council will take the strongest possible enforcement action on any business in the borough that fails to adhere to hygiene standards.

"We have worked with KFC to ensure compliance with the regulations and we have revisited the store before it reopens. We have ensured that they carry out various works including:  

  • Complete proofing of the premises.
  • A survey of drains and fitting of one way stoppers to prevent vermin.
  • Two deep cleans.
  • Disposal of all food onsite
  • Retraining for all staff on procedures, particularly escalation procedures.
  • A full pest control programme.