UPDATE 9:30am - The store has since re-opened. 

PITSEA’S Poundland store has been forced to temporarily close as an investigation is launched into the “presence of a mouse” in the shop. 

Poundland, based in the Old Market Retail park, has been closed since Wednesday morning after shoppers reported spotting a mouse. 

An investigation is now under way, and the store will only re-open once “any issue has been addressed”.

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Poundland bosses have been unable to give any indication of how long the investigation will take or when the store will re-open to shoppers. 

A spokesman said: “Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporally closed our Pitsea store while we investigate and address the possible presence of a mouse.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to these kinds of reports.

“We are investigating, and we will only re-open once we are satisfied any issue has been addressed.”

None of the shopsother shops on the retail park have been forced to close and have not been impacted by the “mouse”. 

Initially, residents contacted the Echo claiming the shop had been hit by an infestation of mice. However, bosses were quick to insist that it is a singular mouse causing issues at Poundland rather than an infestation. 

Craig Rimmer, councillor responsible for regeneration, and also the Pitsea South Essex ward, applauded the business’ zero-tolerance approach and said this is the right decision.

He said: “It is commendable of the company to put the health and safety of the staff and customers first.

“I applaud Poundland’s zero-tolerance approach to something like this.

“It is more important that it happens on a temporary basis and that they are able to open as soon as possible and as safe as possible.

“It is better to be safe than sorry and check these reports.

“It is just one of those things – these things happen.

“We are not an environment that is completely, clinically, sealed from all nature. It is just one of those things that can happen in any building.”