As food prices continue to rise and the cost of living crisis seeps its way into shopping baskets, more and more people are turning to the cheapest supermarkets for the weekly food shop.

But according to recent national data which named the ‘dirtiest’ supermarkets in England, these cheaper options aren’t always the most hygienic.

A UK-wide study by BritSuperstore examined food hygiene ratings for thousands of stores across the nation and found that one Swindon supermarket is among the least hygienic.

B&M on Ocotal Way was given a rating of two and told that “improvement was necessary” during its last hygiene inspection, making it one of England’s dirtiest supermarkets.

The supermarket was inspected on March 24, 2023, less than a month after it reopened at its new, bigger Ocotal Way location.

B&M Stores has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond.

Swindon Advertiser: The Ocotal Way store only opened the doors of its current site 11 months ago.The Ocotal Way store only opened the doors of its current site 11 months ago. (Image: Dave Cox)

The nationwide study, which picked out 215 English supermarket stores, found that when looking at brands as opposed to individual stores it was Iceland which was named the most unhygienic supermarket with the lowest score of 4.89 stars out of five.

The Mum’s favourite supermarket ranked lowest on the list, with four of its stores in England being rated two out of five for hygiene, and two of its stores being given a hygiene rating of zero.

When it comes to the most hygienic store, in joint first place is the beloved German supermarket Aldi, with a rating of 4.99 out of five stars.

Only one Aldi store in the whole of the UK was deemed as needing improvement by Food Standards Agency inspectors.

The supermarket giant was tied in first place with its more expensive counterpart M&S which also received 4.99 stars.

For those worrying about the hygiene of their favourite supermarket, expert Richard Price, of BritSuperstore, has issued the following advice.

"Keep an eye out for dirty floors, shelves or toilets. This might be an indication that hygiene practices are lacking.

"Check that products are being stored properly and that each product is in date. Be very wary of damaged or torn packaging, as this might increase the risk of contamination."