REACTIONS have flooded in following news that an Asda superstore in Swindon has been given a zero food hygiene rating. 

The Orbital Shopping Centre supermarket is one of the largest in the town, serving thousands of people every week. 

But, following a recent inspection by Swindon Borough Council environmental health officers on Tuesday, October 10, it was deemed so bad that it needed urgent improvement and slapped with a hygiene rating of zero out of five. 

The story published by the Swindon Advertiser on November 10 received hundreds of comments from locals, some concerned about the development and others not surprised after visiting themselves. 

Some suggested a lack of staff in the store was responsible, particularly highlighting the rise in self-service checkouts. 

Jane Lambourne said: "It’s because so many people are using self-scan the supermarkets don’t have so many staff

"Because of these self-scans if fewer people use them there would be more staff in shops to help and be on the tills."

Danielle Claire added: "Is this why they can’t afford staff to man the tills? We had to scan £150 worth of shopping through self-scan at 5pm on a weekday as only one till was open and the queue was about 20 minutes long!"

Others called for a stricter response from the council

Al Smith said: "Asda should have been immediately closed until they get it sorted.

"That ASDA probably has thousands if not tens of thousands of customers a week, so it's no laughing matter.

"I don't like zero-rated takeaways staying open but they operate on a far smaller scale. A takeaway serves probably only a few hundred people a week."

Sean Amor added: "How bad does it have to be before you get shut down? Is there less than zero?"

Others weren't happy at Swindon Borough Council's decision not to release the full report with specific details on what the store's failings were in order for it to get such a low rating. 

Tomasz Piela said: "SBC have no problem releasing information about roaches in a local kebab/curry shop, but refuses to inform the public on this one, even though it affects more people.

"Absolute disgrace. There should be full transparency in all cases and no preferential treatment for the rich."

A spokesperson for the supermarket said: “As soon as we were made aware of these findings all of the recommended actions were implemented immediately.

“We can reassure customers at our Swindon Haydon store that improvements have been made.

“We have applied for a re-rating and expect to receive a rating that reflects the high standards that we set ourselves."