CUSTOMERS eating breakfast at a Christchurch carvery were left wishing they'd had cornflakes at home after officials in overalls loudly started discussing the eatery's pest control issues.

People were dining at the Toby Carvery in Lyndhurst Road, Roeshot Hill last week when pest controllers made a series of comments in the restaurant, including: "There's a really big one running around."

One of those in the eatery at the time told the Daily Echo: "I'd only been in the place for ten minutes.

"I was sat having my bacon and the pest controllers arrived.

"They were talking quite loudly with a member of staff near me. They quite openly discussed some ongoing problem they have on the ground and first floors.

"I heard them saying, 'There's a really big one running around, so watch out for that'.

"They also said something like, 'He's invited all his friends in and they're running amok around the place'."

The pest controllers were wearing overalls but not masks. Their van, which featured a company livery, was also parked outside when the customer left.

"I have to say, I didn't feel all that happy about it when I heard it," the customer said.

"Everyone seemed quite nonchalant about it all."

A spokesperson from Toby Carvery said: “We would like to reassure our guests we always take hygiene and quality standards very seriously.

"We have been conducting maintenance work as part of our pest control programme.

"We can confirm there has been no pest activity in areas where food and drink is served or prepared.”

The carvery currently holds a top food hygiene rating of five, which means overall it's considered to be 'very good'. It received 'very good' ratings in food hygiene and safety, 'good' in structural compliance – meaning how it conforms with its statutory obligations and industry codes – and 'high' in confidence in management.

It was last inspected in October 2018.

Officials from BCP Council say no complaints have been made regarding the restaurant's hygiene practices.