Rat Jumps Out at Shopper in Aldi: A Supermarket Horror Story

Sammie Daw, 35, was planning a nice Sunday roast treat for her and her 15-year-old son when she came face to face with the 'gross' rodent in an Aldi supermarket A mum's quick supermarket trip took a shocking turn when a rat suddenly appeared from behind a stack of foil trays in the chilled meat section. Sammie Daw, 35, had been picking up a chicken for a Sunday roast with her 15-year-old son when she came face to face with what she described as a "gross" rodent. The incident happened at an Aldi store in Tunbridge Wells. According to Sammie, from High Brooms, she had visited the supermarket on Saturday, at around 1pm, with the intention of purchasing a chicken. However, as she lifted the meat in its foil baking tray from the fridge shelf, to her horror, the long-tailed rat leapt out and scurried away. Sammie alerted the staff, who promptly closed the store doors to prevent customers from entering, while allowing those inside to quickly finish their shopping. Sammie said she was informed by Aldi that it reopened later that afternoon but closed again as pest control conducted a sweep of the store with a trained dog. Speaking to KentLive, Sammie said: "[The rat] was about the size of my hand. I was so shocked at first, cause it made me jump, then I felt gross and immediately put back the chicken. It ran back towards the fridge. I could see its claws and long tail. I managed to get a photo of it. When I got home, I felt disgusting and wiped my food packaging with antibacterial wipes." An Aldi spokesperson stated: "We have rigorous hygiene procedures in place at all stores and acted swiftly when this issue was raised. The store was immediately closed whilst we rectified the issue and conducted thorough checks. The store is now open as normal.", reports Kent Live. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. The single mum shared that she suffers from severe anxiety, but has always chosen to shop at Aldi due to its affordability, friendly staff and the sense of safety she feels there "I know finding a rat could happen anywhere, however, I felt safe there, and this was quite a bit of a setback," she expressed. She added that the staff promptly sealed off the area when she informed them and covered the spot with several green crates. A notice citing technical issues was posted on the store's entrance. Sammie commented: "I was baffled they were telling people it was a technical issue. "I heard they opened after about two hours, then closed again that evening. I am happy to have been informed that everything has been sorted since it happened on Saturday lunchtime."