Manchester United has a lot of mice

Things aren’t going well for Manchester United in terms of sport, and now the English football record champions also have a terrible problem.

The Old Trafford stadium is hit by a plague of mice, with consequences for the rating of the catering industry. Food inspectors discovered evidence of mice in company suites on the ground floor and in a food kiosk in a hall, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

They then lowered the hygiene rating for the stadium catering to two stars. Most Premier League clubs maintain the maximum of five stars.

There are many reasons for the mouse plague. The stadium, originally built in 1910, is located between a canal and a railway line, where the rodents particularly like to hang out. Every home game is attended by 74,000 people who leave behind a lot of rubbish.

The problem often increases in winter because the mice seek warmer and more sheltered places. “Manchester United operates a strict pest control system throughout the Old Trafford stadium,” the club said. There are several inspections per week. A spokesman for the local council said the authority was working closely with the club to make necessary improvements.

It is not the first time that stadium catering has been poorly rated. After undercooked chicken was served to guests at a private company event, the hygiene rating was even lowered to one star. By the time of the most recent inspection, the rating had risen back to four stars. But then the mice came…