Mum's disgust as 'rat found in soft play'

Ashley says she was disgusted to find the rodent in the soft play

A mum has said she was "disgusted" to find a "rat in the soft play area" where her children were playing.

Ashley said she found the half-dead rodent while her two children, aged six and seven, were playing at the Yellow Sub Play Centre in Liverpool on Monday.

The mum, from Dingle, said staff removed the animal, but claimed no further cleaning was done and customers continued to be let into the centre.

A Yellow Sub spokesman said it was "deeply sorry for the distress this incident caused" and was conducting an investigation into what happened.

The rodent was discovered in the babies' play area

The firm said it had been "made aware that a mouse had been found in our play centre" on Monday.

Ashley said she had been taking her children to the centre at least once a week for years, and was horrified by the discovery and the staff's reaction.

"I took my kids straight home and put them in a bath full of Dettol [antiseptic]," she said.

The Yellow Sub spokesman said the centre took "all matters of hygiene extremely seriously".

"We are working closely with all relevant authorities and partners to ensure that our usual high standards are met, to allow us to earn back the trust which parents and guardians so kindly place in us."

The mum she found the half-dead rodent while her two sons were playing at the Yellow Sub Play Centre in Liverpool

Yellow Sub announced on Facebook that the centre had been closed on Wednesday and was set to reopen on Thursday.

However, there was no suggestion it was related to the discovery of the rodent.

Ashley said she was concerned about a wider infestation at the site.

"This was in the baby play area where there's no food source," she said.

"If there's rats in the play area, they already know they have a problem.

"Anyone with any sort of common sense would close the place down while they sort it out."

Ashley said a staff member removed the rodent but did not clean the area

She said she had alerted others about the discovery in a Facebook post and contacted Liverpool City Council's environmental health department to highlight the risk to vulnerable babies and children.

Liverpool City Council has been contacted for comment.