Heathrow Airport is infested with rats and cockroaches, according to a fresh survey.
The Unite union has exposed a severe pest infestation plaguing Britain’s busiest airport, with over 250 employees reporting sightings of mice, rats and cockroaches while on duty.
The findings, which were based on a survey of 1,600 Heathrow Airport staff, paint a grim picture of conditions at the country’s flagship hub.
Workers have described encounters with vermin that would alarm even the most hardened traveller.
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One particularly striking account saw a member of staff report witnessing a mouse helping itself to water from a drinking fountain.
The revelations form part of what Unite describes as a mounting backlash over deteriorating workplace conditions at the west London airport.
The health toll has been significant, with at least one in three survey respondents reporting becoming unwell as a direct result of substandard hygiene at the airport.
Sanitary facilities emerged as a major flashpoint, as 61 per cent of those polled reported that workplace toilets were inadequately cleaned.
Across the board, 82 per cent of the 1,600 workers surveyed reported experiencing problems with staff facilities over the preceding 12 months.
Nearly all respondents indicated that the airport had been far too slow in addressing the pest crisis.
Among the most disturbing accounts, Unite revealed that one employee had discovered mouse droppings contaminating their food, coffee cup and personal locker.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, condemned the state of staff facilities as an “utter disgrace.”
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She said: “No worker should risk their health because their employer systematically failed to provide basic facilities.
Ms Graham insisted that Heathrow Airport Limited had more than sufficient resources to guarantee decent working conditions, adding: “It is high time that Heathrow made this a priority and Unite will ensure this happens.”
The union has demanded that the airport undertake an immediate and thorough overhaul of its cleaning standards, alongside the introduction of a more rigorous monitoring regime.
Michelle Braveboy, Unite’s regional officer, said: “The conditions they currently work under are nowhere near good enough and change is urgently needed.”
Staff have pointed to severely overcrowded communal spaces as a key factor behind the worsening conditions, with employees arguing there is simply insufficient room to accommodate the workforce.
One worker described their rest area as “far too small for the amount of staff using it,” noting it was “cluttered with coats and bags” and lacked proper ventilation, with a heating vent that remained warm even during hot weather.
In that same area, more than 30 employees were forced to share a single microwave and kettle.
The strain on facilities reflects the immense pressure on an airport running at full capacity, handling approximately 85 million passengers annually and employing 80,000 people across the site.
A Heathrow spokesman told GB News: “We take the cleanliness of the airport incredibly seriously and have teams working day and night to keep Heathrow clean. While we don’t recognise the extent of the claims in this poll, we will always investigate and deal with reports of pests.”
GB News understands Heathrow invests heavily in round-the-clock cleaning and year-round pest control, working with the country’s experts, and regularly reaches out to partners across the airport to ensure they work together to keep Heathrow clean and to address any concerns they may have.
The airport is also understood to have seen no increase in reports of pests or cleanliness issues in its self-monitoring services.
Passenger feedback remains consistent and positive.
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