THE owners of the Golden Cross Hotel pub have denied they have an issue with flies after a customer claimed the insects were ‘swarming’ over their food.

Charlotte Pash claimed the bugs were all over the coffee machine, dining areas, and inside cubicles in the ladies toilets, during a visit with her family last Thursday (February 8).

Wetherspoons, who own the Bromsgrove High Street pub, said they dealt with a fly issue but flatly denied claims of a ‘swarm’, adding the problem is now rectified.

Mrs Pash, 33, from Catshil, said: “My parents go there probably once a month and they noticed in early January that there were flies and they mentioned it to the staff.

“We went last Thursday in the family eating area and there were flies just everywhere.

“The pub was swarming with them. We were disgusted. They were all along the book stand, the food, and going in and out of the coffee machine.

“My children were horrified. I took my eight-year-old daughter to the toilets but she was screaming as they were everywhere. She wouldn’t go to the toilet so we had to use the disabled.

“We told our waitress and she said it is being dealt with. It just really concerns me – if it’s like this in the public area, what are the kitchens like?

“Generally we always have decent meals there but it has put us off for now. My parents certainly won’t go back which is a shame as they go quite often.”

The pub, which closed for three days last year due to an outbreak of norovirus, won an award for the cleanliness of its toilet at last year’s Loo of the Year Awards.

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon added: “We can confirm that some flies were spotted in the ladies toilets.

“However, this was definitely not a swarm as described by the customer.

“This has now been dealt with by our environmental health experts and the situation has been rectified and we have no concerns that it is linked to a larger problem.”