ENVIRONMENTAL health officers will consider 'sampling ice' from the town's leading coffee stores – if they are due routine inspections – following national concerns.

A BBC Watchdog investigation found that samples of iced drinks from high street outlets Caffe Nero, Starbucks and Costa Coffee all contained faecal coliform bacteria.

All three chains responded by launching their own investigations into the matter.

Each of the companies has stores in Warrington, including in the town centre.

The Costa Coffee shop in Golden Square Shopping Centre received a food hygiene rating of '5', which is the highest available, when it was last inspected in April this year, with Starbucks getting a '5' at its last inspection in December 2015 and Caffe Nero also getting a '5' when it was inspected in March last year.

The '5' rating means hygiene standards are 'very good'.

Warrington Borough Council has responded to the national concerns.

A spokesman said: "Each food premises in Warrington is inspected on a regular basis – the frequency of inspection is determined by the hazards in place and how those hazards are being controlled.

"Officers in the environmental health team then 'rate' the business based on the hygiene, structure and confidence in management found at the time – this rating forms the food hygiene rating that is published at food.gov.uk/ratings.

"Details of the last inspection date are also found there.

"Following the national reports, we will look at the premises highlighted to ascertain whether any in Warrington are due for a routine food hygiene inspection – if they are, they will be inspected.

"The team do a wide variety of water and food sampling each year and will consider sampling ice from the premises highlighted."

The country's food hygiene rating scheme helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, takeaways and food shops.

It aims to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.

If the council receives a complaint – or other information about a business they are not due to inspect – and that information suggests hygiene standards are not being maintained, it will investigate and may inspect the business.