ASDA says it has taken action after inspectors awarded one of its supermarkets just two stars out of five for its hygiene.

According to the Food Standards Agency and Hyndburn Borough Council, the branch of Asda on Hyndburn Road, Accrington, is in need of improvement, with a two-star rating being below generally satisfactory standards and indicating that improvements must be made.

The initial inspection was conducted on October 21, 2019, and the supermarket giant has said that it has taken the criticism on board, has made improvements and is confident of receiving a significantly higher rating when inspections are conducted again in three months.

An Asda spokesperson said: “The safety and cleanliness of our stores is a top priority and since the last review of our Accrington store in October 2019, we immediately took action following feedback from the local authority.

“We are satisfied with the actions we took and are currently waiting for the local authority to return to the store to conduct a food hygiene re-rating inspection.”

When carrying out inspections, the Food Standards Agency in partnership with local councils considers food hygiene and safety, 'structural compliance' and confidence in management.

In the case of Asda’s Accrington branch, though food hygiene and safety was deemed to be “good” and confidence in management “high”, the report found structural compliance to be “poor.”

Structural compliance refers to the structure of the establishment including cleanliness, layout, condition of the building, lighting, ventilation and facilities.

The “poor” rating meant that the inspectors had discovered some major non-compliance with statutory obligations.

They deemed that more effort was required to prevent a fall in standards.

Further inspections, which in some cases have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, are due to take place across various boroughs later this year.