A mum was horrified after finding a dead mouse at a children’s play centre in Beckenham ruining her toddler’s birthday.

Mum of three Rebecca Smith, 27, took her son Elijah, two, to Gambado’s in Beckenham for his birthday on Thursday (July 2).

But after visiting the centre, off Copers Cope Road, Miss Smith spotted something amiss.

The Croydon Council worker said: “He was playing in the soft area and it’s quite dark but I saw something, so I took my phone out to put the torch on and I saw a dead mouse.

“I took him there because it’s his birthday but we were only there for 20 minutes. He’s a bit sad because he was having a lot of fun. I’m taking him to McDonalds and the park now.

“It sort of ruined his birthday. I work fulltime so I took the day off to make it special.”

She paid £7 for the visit and alerted a member of staff who picked it up with some blue tissue paper and sprayed the area, she claims.

She added: “I’m a bit worried as my child might have picked it up, any child might’ve. They could have put it in their mouth.

“They carry a lot of germs and diseases; I washed his hands in the toilets before we left.”

MORE TOP STORIES Miss Smith, from near London Road in Norbury, added: “I think they could have done something differently; he just pulled out some disinfectant spray and picked up the mouse. He could have sealed that area off and treated it.

“They have a ball pit there and lots of different soft play bits, I think if there’s one mouse there could be more.

“If I didn’t find it who knows what would have happened? I won’t be going back there again.”

But general manager Stuart Duncan insists the centre complies with all health and safety regulations, and checks are carried out daily, weekly and monthly.

He said: “Unfortunately due to the position of the building – surrounded by greenery, foliage and fields every now and then a tiny field mouse will get into the facility ... through cracks as [small] as a pencil width.

“This is incredibly rare but none the less can happen – even with the appointment of reputable third party contractors to look after pest control.

“The fact the mouse was dead goes further to show that the control measures in place done their job.”