Fast food chain McDonald's today said they were confident there was no health risk - after a customer spotted a dead rat in the Clacton restaurant.

A Clacton woman, who does not want to be named, had just eaten at the McDonald's restaurant in Pier Avenue with her two grandchildren, aged 13 and five, when she heard a fellow customer tell a member of staff about the rat, which had been spotted in the sit-down eating area.

"He came over with a sweeper to take it away out the back.

"We saw the rat with blood around it.

"What alarmed me was that business carried on regardless.

"I'm not saying they should have caused a panic, but they should have shut up shop to deal with it more thoroughly."

A McDonald's spokesman said that hygiene and cleanliness were of paramount importance to the company.

"We conduct regular thorough inspections and use a range of sophisticated pest control measures," he said.

He added: "McDonald's first priority in dealing with any pest sighting is to protect hygiene, and our company standard is for experts to deal with any pest sighting.

"We regret that, in this emergency incident, our own high standards were not followed.

"Having investigated the restaurant's actions, we are confident that there were no risks to health."

He said: "A high standard of hygiene was maintained by disposing of all contaminated equipment and by thoroughly cleaning areas affected."