A SCHOOL has been forced to close its kitchen after mice were spotted in the dining hall.

Audley Infant School in Blackburn has been unable to serve hot meals for two days due to the incident.

One parent has threatened to take his children out of school until the issue has been dealt with.

Bosses at the Queens Park Road school, which was given a five-star food hygiene rating earlier this year, say pest control officials have been called in to deal with it.

In a letter to parents, headteachers of the junior and infant school Helen Nelson and Sue Aldred said they would be unable to serve hot meals from the kitchen on Thursday and Friday.

“This is a precautionary measure as there have been some sightings of mice in the dining hall area, albeit these have been few and far between,” they said.

“We are working closely with the local authority to ensure this is dealt with effectively and promptly.

“After taking advice from the council’s pest control service we have taken the precaution of closing the kitchen whilst this is dealt with.

“We will serve sandwiches, fruit and cake on Thursday and Friday while the kitchen is closed.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but as you will appreciate the safety of pupils is our priority.”

Parent Nafeez Mughal, 33, said his daughter saw a rodent in the school six weeks ago.

The dad-of-four, who has two children at the school, said: “I want to take my kids out of schools for lunch and I’m considering taking them of school altogether until the issue is sorted.

“The children are still eating in the dining hall and the food is being prepared in the dining hall. They should not be preparing it in that area.

“I’m concerned for the kids’ health.”

He said his daughter was ‘disgusted’ when she spotted a rodent six weeks ago and did not eat her food.

A spokeswoman for the school said: “We have been working closely with the local authority to ensure this is dealt with effectively and promptly.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused, however the health and safety of all pupils is our main priority.”

A spokeswoman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: “We have given the school initial advice and are happy with their hygiene standards and the action they are taking.”

Daniel Heap, of East Lancashire Pest Control, said mice tend to come inside when the weather gets colder.

He said: “Food should be kept in containers to make it harder for them, make sure you fill any holes in your property and keep areas clean.”

“They have a big breeding cycle so it is best to get pest control in straight away.”