A TROWBRIDGE pub that hit national headlines seven years ago when rats were spotted stealing food inside has been forced to shut after another rodent infestation.
The Albany Palace in Park Road was closed “until further notice” in early October to allow a pest control specialist to exterminate rats living in a nearby empty shop.
It is believed the rats had been attracted by rubbish left in an adjacent alleyway behind the pub.
The discovery was made when rodents were found living in voids in the walls and ceiling of the former M&Co store in Silver Street nearby which had been left empty for three years since closing in 2020.
They were found during a pop-up arts and crafts exhibition from September 22 to October 14 organised by the Social Scaffolding art collective comprising artists Lou Baker, Juliet Duckworth and Alyson Minkley.
One of the organisers said: “We were working late into the evening clearing the shop and setting up the exhibition when we heard noises so we immediately contacted Wiltshire Council who were very supportive.”
Together with the M&Co shop landlord, the Social Scaffolding team worked with Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, and the Wetherspoons pub management team to get rid of the rats.
They quickly established the rodents were feeding on rubbish being left in a back alleyway behind the two businesses.
The pub was closed for several days and a pest control specialist was brought in to set traps with poisoned bait and the rubbish was cleared using the Wetherspoon refuse bins.
“There were no rats in their building but there were definitely rats in the alleyway,” said one of the exhibition organisers, who declined to be named.
After the collective finished using the shop on October 16, it appeared that flies had got into the building.
“We believe there must have been one more rat body left that the pest control specialist failed to find,” the woman said.
As a result, passers-by noticed the M&Co shop window was full of flies after October 21 as the exhibition organisers did not hand back the keys until November 1.
“There were no flies when we left on October 16 but they must have got in through a hole in the wall and then bred,” she said.
“It is really hard to control the situation when there are multiple people involved. All the holes have been blocked up and everything is now resolved. Everybody worked together to resolve the situation.”
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “There were some rodent sightings in the outside space to the rear of the pub which we share with the former M& Co building.
"This was caused by a build- up of waste in bins belonging to a nearby residential premises. This waste has now been cleared and the problem has been resolved.
“The Albany Palace has the highest standards of cleanliness and has had the maximum five-star food hygiene rating from Wiltshire Council since 2017.”
Kez Garner, chair of Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, said: “The problem was the flies laid eggs. The rats also came but they have all gone now.
“There is a narrow alleyway at the back but it’s all now been dealt with by pest control.”
Cllr Nick Holder, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet member for Public Protection said: “We haven’t received any recent complaints about rats in this area. Reports can be made via our website at pestcontrol@wiltshire.gov.uk.
"We are aware of a fly complaint from a neighbouring shop in the Silver Street area and believe this may be linked to a rodent treatment carried out within the building. The flies are being investigated and the landlord of the property will be contacted to advise them of the issue.”
The Albany Palace hit national headlines in February 2016 when a rat reportedly ran up the trouser leg of a customer and stole a chip out of his hand.
The man, from Trowbridge, was out with his partner when the rodent was said to have scampered up his leg and stole the chip.
As a result, customers were ushered out of the Albany Palace and the pub was closed for 30 minutes while staff dealt with the problem. The couple later received a £25 refund for their meal.
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