A town centre shop has been hit with its second zero-star hygiene rating in less than a year after inspectors uncovered blood-soaked floors.

MM Cash and Carry in Ashford received another damning report highlighting a catalogue of failures including poor hygiene practices, damaged equipment and mould.

The butchers-cum-supermarket in New Rents was visited by an inspector from Ashford Borough Council (ABC) in May.

Documenting their findings in a report, they highlighted 13 areas of concern and revealed the cleaning standards in the butchery, the kitchen and the walk-in chillers were inadequate.

The large chiller had no working light, something which the officer suggested may have been the reason it was found in such a poor state with meat products coming into contact with blood stains on the floor.

Raw food was found stored next to ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in chiller, one example being animal carcasses next to fresh herbs and salad items while other goods were not adequately wrapped or packaged.

The kitchen appeared to have a leak in the ceiling and the wall by the boiler which inspectors believed caused dampness and mould growth in the room.

Items such as a phone, an iPad, a kettle, tissues and mugs were all left situated on a butcher’s block in the raw meat area, which could cause cross-contamination.

The same block was described as being “in a poor condition and must be repaired or replaced as it cannot be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected”.

A cupboard to the rear of the premises was full of waste such as empty packaging and cardboard which the inspector considered as the ideal habitat for pests.

During the inspection, it was noted there was no suitable hand soap in the hand wash basin or hand drying facilities and the worker handling the raw meat was also working on the till where they handled ready-to-eat products without first washing their hands effectively.

The disinfectant being used was “not providing adequate disinfection and/or sanitation”, an issue which had been previously mentioned in past visits.

At the time of the inspection, the business was unable to show its food safety management system, with an MM Cash and Carry director saying it was not available as his son had it.

This has been noted in several previous inspections including 2023, 2021 and 2017.

The officer told the business: “It was apparent during the inspection that the level of food hygiene awareness amongst staff members was inadequate.”

The store has a history of poor hygiene standards.

At an inspection in 2016, an active cockroach infestation was found, and it was ordered to close.

In 2021, officers slapped the cash and carry with a rating of two out of five after dirty fridges and missing tiles were spotted.

Last year, issues included broken fridges, out-of-date food, flies and a worker washing their feet in the sink.

This week, a spokesman for the store said it had since “made all the necessary changes” and has been “cleared on all fronts”.

“We've had a few issues with training, however, our method of operations has completely changed,” they said.

“It's been updated, and everything is now complying with guidelines.

“We have our documentation, everything is clean, there are methods in practice now to assure that this doesn't happen again, and this can all be confirmed via a letter from the Food Standards Agency.

“We're just waiting for a time now to get an inspection done again.”

An ABC spokesman added: “Further to our inspection on May 16, 2024, formal action was taken in line with our enforcement policy.

“An improvement notice was served requiring the business to put in place food safety procedures.

“This notice has now been complied with. We will be continuing to monitor this business to ensure that improvements are maintained.”