Health officials close cockroach-infested units on motorway services including KFC and Starbucks

A plague of cockroaches has caused a motorway service area on the M40 to be closed by health officials.

Four units in the main Welcome Break services near Oxford were forced to close immediately, including KFC and Starbucks.

A criminal investigation into any food hygiene offences committed is ongoing at the site, which is used by thousands of motorists and their passengers every day.

South Oxfordshire District Council today described it as a 'significant' cockroach infestation, which has also seen The Good Breakfast and Chopstix forced to close.

Environmental health officers carried out an emergency investigation after a member of the public complained.

Evidence of a cockroach infestation was found in the food preparation and servery areas of the outlets which posed a 'significant risk of food contamination and an imminent risk to the customers' health'.

The four businesses at the site, off Junction Eight near Wheatley, will remain closed until officers say the health risk has been removed.

On Friday 31 May, during a hearing at Oxford Magistrates' Court, District Judge Rana reviewed the evidence and statements provided by the officers and confirmed the imminent health risk on 20 May and was satisfied that the risk to health remained in place.

The judge made a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order and also awarded full costs of just over £3,000 to South Oxfordshire District Council.

Officers are working with the businesses and monitoring these and the other units at the site.

Paul Fielding, Head of Housing and Environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: 'When we received the initial complaint, our Environmental Health officers took immediate action and carried out an investigation at Welcome Break Services and served the hygiene emergency prohibition notice requiring the temporary closure of the affected businesses.

'The infestation presented a signification risk of contamination and a serious risk to public health and I'm pleased that the District Judge has now endorsed the action our officers took.

'Our officers will continue conducting regular inspections at the site in order to protect public health.

'They are also working with Welcome Break to address the issue and supporting their efforts to reopen the impacted units as soon as possible.'

Pest experts say record numbers of cockroaches are starting to invade homes, creeping across bedroom floors and under sofas in living rooms.

The 'roaches' don't bite humans and won't cause any physical harm but they are a health threat because they spread disease.

Britain's mild winter and spring with high levels of rain has been perfect weather for the insects.

Swat squad pest experts warn there is set to be a record invasion - and an infestation could set you back up to £260.

Although there are over 4,000 cockroach species on the planet, two are most prominent in the UK, according to Bedford-based bug extermination firm EWS Group - the Oriental Cockroach and the German Cockroach.

You may also come across the American cockroach and the Brown Banded cockroach.

In 2022, students at nearby Oxford University's Exeter College threatened a 'rent strike' because of an invasion of the ugly bugs in their bedrooms.

Students in the Cohen Quadrangle area of Oxford's fourth oldest college, were 'disgusted and let down' by a cockroach infestation in two communal kitchens and bedrooms. 

Staff told newcomers the first and second floor would be closed for a few days during freshers week due to maintenance work.

They added that due to 'unforeseen maintenance issue' both kitchens would not be open until October 17 at the earliest - leaving as many as 90 students sharing a third floor cooking space.

Exeter College offered a 60 per cent discount at both the Dakota Cafe in Cohen Quadrangle and the centre's main dining hall.

When students kept seeing the bugs college bosses admitted the issue was a cockroach infestation in the air vents of the first and second floor kitchen.

A statement called them to ensure 'bins are emptied frequently and no food items are left uncovered overnight'.