Watch as mouse scurries across floor between diners in Edinburgh city centre restaurant

One diner claimed she was ignored by the manager and staff after complaining about the mice.
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A visit from our four-legged friends isn't quite what you expect to see while dining out at a city centre restaurant.

But that's exactly what happened in The Refinery in St Andrew Square when a mouse was filmed scurrying between tables in front of shocked customers.

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Gillian Murie shared the video on social media in which the small rodent can be seen darting around the restaurant floor.

Stills from video footage taken inside The Refinery in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. Video: Gillian MurieStills from video footage taken inside The Refinery in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. Video: Gillian Murie
Stills from video footage taken inside The Refinery in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. Video: Gillian Murie

A spokeswoman for The Refinery said they are taking the incident "extremely seriously" and that their location beside a historic square means mice are a possibility.

The spokeswoman said the restaurant team schedule monthly inspections with Environmental Health and pest control agencies who have, since reporting this incident, given them a "clean bill of health" and confirmed they are doing all they can to avoid a repeat incident.

'No one cares'

But Gillian was unhappy about how the situation was handled by staff during her visit to the eatery on December 30th, claiming there were up to five mice loose in the premises and that she was ignored by the manager and staff when she flagged the issue.

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In a post alongside the video she said: "Terrible customer service.

"Don't go here. The place should be shut down by environmental standards."

In her post, Gillian said the group of diners she was with spent more than £150 collectively at the restaurant.

As she films, people in her group can be heard saying: "No one cares, that's the problem."

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Gillian then catches a mouse on film dashing across the floor and says: "There's a mouse, mouse, mouse!

"We are in The Refinery in St Andrew Square and there are mice running about.

"Told the managers and the staff and no one cares.

"Disgusting."

'Isolated incident'

A spokeswoman for The Refinery stressed that it was an "isolated incident" albeit one that they have taken "extremely seriously."

The spokeswoman said: "Sadly due to the bar and restaurant’s location overlooking a historical square, visits by our four legged friends are a possibility.

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"To that end we regularly schedule monthly inspections from both pest control agencies and the EHO as well as the local council, all of whom have historically and since reporting this incident given us a clean bill of health and confirmed we are doing everything within our power to prevent repeat occurrences.

"We hope that alleviates any concerns you may have and that you will therefore decide it would be sensible not to run the story as it is neither an inherent or ongoing issue."

An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman said: “Our Environmental Health Team inspected The Refinery recently as part of our unannounced visits. We’re satisfied they have a pest control contractor working to deal with mice and that this is being done correctly.

"We have never identified any issues with pests in the kitchen area but we continue to monitor the situation."

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