A catering company has broken its silence after the kitchen of a primary school it has served for over 10 years was shut following a mouse infestation.

The dead mouse was discovered among pots and pans in a cupboard at Sonning Common Primary School in Reading during a routine inspection by South Oxfordshire District Council on July 15.

Droppings were also found throughout the kitchen and food preparation areas.

It spurred the local authority to issue a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice to the school, effectively closing the kitchen until the health risk is removed.

Sonning Common, which looks after 300 children aged between two and 11-years-old, stayed open with alternative meal arrangements in place until the end of term on July 24.

Kites Kitchen, a catering company based in Reading, has provided food to pupils at the site since 2011 and, before this month’s inspection, had a stellar food hygiene record.

However, the council said the dead mouse and droppings meant measures to prevent food contamination were “evidently not in place”.

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Nearly two weeks after the discovery, a spokesperson for the caterer has broken their silence, suggesting that the cupboard where the dead mouse was found was only used for “occasional large events”, something that hadn’t been required since the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also cited the school’s location in a “rural area”, its kitchen being “part of an old building” and “relentless wet weather” as reasons for the infestation.

Adding: “We have cooperated fully with the council officers and all the restrictions around the use of the kitchen and (are working closely with) Sonning Common, which has responsibility for pest control of the site.

“The kitchen and whole building are now under a rigorous pest control regime to deal with the problem.

“This is a difficult time, and every measure has been taken to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. We anticipate being back in operation following the period of intense pest control and deep cleaning of areas affected during the summer break.

“We are also grateful to all the children, parents and staff who have continued to show support in the last few days.”

Cllr Sam James-Lawrie, cabinet member for environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said the contamination level at the school posed “a serious risk of disease and food poisoning”.

Adding: “We will continue to closely monitor the situation until we are satisfied there is no longer a risk at this site.”