A FATHER was left sickened when he found a dead mouse in his loaf of bread while making sandwiches for his children.

Dad-of-two Stephen Forse, bought the Hovis Best of Both bread online from Tesco, through a store in Bicester, in January 2009.

Mr Forse, from Kidlington in Oxfordshire, said: “I noticed a dark coloured object embedded in the corner of three or four slices.

“Initially I thought it was where the dough had not mixed properly prior to baking. As I looked closer I saw that the object had fur on it.”

Following an investigation by council health officers, Premier Foods was ordered to pay �16,821 at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

Premier Foods pleaded guilty to failing to ensure all stages of food production were protected against contamination and failing to maintain a robust pest management system at its British Bakeries site in Mitcham, south London.

A Premier Foods spokesman said: “We apologise profusely for the distress caused as a result of this isolated incident.’’