A LIDL store has been branded “disgusting” and a “health hazard” after pictures showed stained floors, rotting fruit and obstacle courses created by abandoned boxes.
The images show fruit in an advanced stage of putrefaction, a large puddle of spilt milk, and unexplained, large red stains on the floor.
Throughout the store in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, are piles of boxes,plastic pallets and other debris which could pose a risk of tripping.
The images were taken by customer Stacey Powers, 29, on Sunday evening.
Stacey, from Stockport, Greater Manchester took to Lidl UK’s Facebook page the same day, writing: “Never have I stepped foot in a supermarket as disgusting as Lidl Councillor Lane.
“I’d be ashamed to work somewhere like that, staff didn’t give a c**p either when I said how disgusting the shop was.”
She added: “These pictures are of the first aisle you walk down when you get in there. Lidl UK does nobody check the standards of the shop?
“The staff clearly shouldn’t be working there if that’s the state they leave the place. I won’t be shopping there again that’s for sure.”
In the images captured by Stacey they reveal three empty cardboard boxes that would hold tomatoes inside. One of the boxes has a can left inside of it and the other one has bundle of plastic bags abandoned.
Another image shows red spillage on the floor that has not been cleaned up beside some empty boxes for tomatoes. The red spillage could either be dried up wine or crushed tomatoes.
In one of the images a box filled with oranges where left rotting away and some had turned green and went moldy with some even sweating. However, only one apple had went off in the box.
Other images show empty boxes left abandoned at the side to be dealt with later and another one shows green pallet boxes left with stock inside stacked up really high and in the way of the lane.
Milk and water was spilt all over the floor but tissues were put on top of the liquid to dry the floor.
It had warning signs to indicate the surface was slippery.
Mo Bostock responded on social media: “I’ve been twice. Everyone has a off day. Never again. It’s awful”
Rachel Holt wrote: “Don’t go in that s*** hole again because these pictures aren’t lying. Absolutely disgusting.”
Laura Barnard posted: “Health and safety hazard at its finest. They will get closed down for that.”
Amanda Hunter added: “Eww mouldy fruit.. Milk Going green on the floor. That’s minging. I wouldn’t bother your a**e going back there in a hurry.”
Julie Farrar said: “Yes it’s a shocking sorry dump of a place.”
Speaking today (Tues) Stacey said: “I was shocked and disgusted when I saw the state of the store and wondered how they were even open I’d never seen anything like it. It was a health hazard.”
“I emailed Lidl customer service but they were very unhelpful and pretty much said they had acknowledged what I said and will pass it on.
“I feel as though this is just going to get brushed under the carpet. I saw boxes everywhere and it looked very scruffy, there was squashed fruit and dried juice all over the floor that had just been left,
She added: “The boxes took up pretty much the whole of the first isle, you had to climb over boxes to get to the little stock that was on the shelves. The stock that was in the shelves was thrown all over, the fruit they had had gone mouldy.
The shop supervisor explained that she had the pallets were stacked “eight foot high” and was blocking the shop floor and at risk of falling and the meat was left out for a very long time
She continued: “There was a leaking fridge that just had blue roll placed on it and a wet floor sign but not cleaned up and water on the floor.
“At this point I’d seen enough and decided to leave the store but still had to dodge the mound of empty boxes on the following aisle.”
A spokeswoman for Lidl today confirmed that the conditions at the store were “being addressed as a priority”.
She said: “We always aim to provide our customers with the best possible shopping experience and have strict procedures in place to ensure that our stores are maintained to a high standard.
“We were therefore extremely sorry and disappointed to learn that this was not the case on this occasion.”
