The owner of a café used by match-going Manchester United fans has been fined £10,000 after inspectors discovered a RAT INFESTATION.
A zero-star rating was handed to The United Café, which sits in the shadows of Old Trafford, following a visit from an inspector which unearthed the issue with rodents and found potatoes that had been GNAWED by rats.
The United-themed café, which is not linked to the club, voluntarily closed its premises on Chester Road along with the neighbouring venue Legends, and was ordered to carry out a deep clean and proofing work.
A report from Trafford Council, carried out in August 2024, read: ‘Visit due to issues with rat activity in the area. Both premises closed voluntarily due to rat infestation.’
The visit found potatoes that had been gnawed by rodents, rat droppings under the chip range, and a series of other issues. On a follow-up visit a burger containing gluten was served to a ‘customer’ – who was actually an undercover inspector who had declared an allergy.
According to the council’s report, work to remediate the pest infestation had to be carried out before the venues reopened.
The café, which also serves as a bar and Off Licence, sells favourites such as fish and chips and full English breakfasts. It has a 4.2 rating on Google.
Trafford council said United Café and director Sean Stokes were slapped with the fine at Manchester Magistrates Court.
They added that officers discovered the business had not made accurate daily checks for rats and had recorded the site as ‘pest-free’.
Following the voluntary closure to clean up in 2024, undercover officers visited again in November, which is when the gluten incident occurred.
Stokes, 56, of Bury New Road, Whitefield, Manchester, and Café United Ltd pleaded guilty to breaches of food safety legislation. Café United Ltd was fined £8,000 with costs of £1,000 awarded and Mr Stokes was fined £1,048 with a surcharge of £419.
And it would appear that there may be more work to do – with the café’s last inspection, in December 2025, handing it just one star out of five and declaring ‘major improvement necessary’ in the area of ‘management of food safety’.
Councillor Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety, said: ‘Visitors and residents in Trafford have the right to expect good standards of hygiene, and reliable advice on ingredients, from any food outlet that trades in our borough.
‘This prosecution shows that we will not hesitate to take action where standards fall short of what is acceptable. Thanks to our environmental health team for pursuing this case and bringing this business and its director to court. It is a clear warning that substantial fines can be issued to businesses that risk putting people’s health at risk.’