A SUPERMARKET has been fined £300,000 after dead mice and flies were found lurking beneath the food.

Asda Home Delivery Depot, in Southbury Road, Enfield, was ordered to pay the money at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on March 3.

The firm pleaded guilty to three breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations on January 20.

It has also been ordered to pay Enfield Council costs of £4,843.

Cereal packets and bags of sugar had been gnawed on the home baking isle, while spilt food and rotting coriander was found in home delivery trays.

Rodents’ bodies and flies were found in the bread section, with droppings found on shelves and insect shells was found beneath them.

The depot distributes food to online customers across London and Essex.

Cllr Daniel Anderson for the environment, said: “It beggars belief that a national retailer would allow food to be stored in an environment where rodents are running riot.

“It is simply unacceptable for customers to be exposed to the potential risk of harm because a company cannot get its house in order and store foodstuff in a safe and hygienic manner.

“I am therefore pleased that magistrates have taken a tough stance and issued a heavy penalty.

"Hopefully it will send out a strong message to all retailers that we will not tolerate them being less than properly vigilant & ensuring their staff abide by their own stated hygiene policies to protect the health and wellbeing of their customers.”

A spokesman for Asda said the depot had invested in and improved its pest management control.

He added: "The conditions found at our Enfield home shopping centre in May 2016 were completely unacceptable and we are deeply sorry that on this occasion the strict processes we have in place failed at a local level.

"We would like to reassure all our customers that immediate steps were taken as soon as the issue was flagged last year to restore the high standards that our customers expect from us."