Footage of a rat feeding over the food in the hospital canteen has forced officials to shut it down.

The incident happened at the Stanley Medical College and Hospital in Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The video recorded through the glass storage box shows the rat feeding on the food displayed in a serving tray in the canteen as a man comes inside.

Food safety officer Dr P Sateesh Kumar inspected the cantine on Monday, 13th November and added: “We found rats in snacks prepared two days ago.

“The manager will be asked to pay a fine of INR 5,000 [GBP 49] for not maintaining hygiene.

“We have issued him a show-cause notice.

“The canteen will be allowed to reopen only after we ensure it is clean and safe.”

The dean of the college Dr P Balaji ordered the closure of the canteen and said: “It is to be noted that due to the Deepavali festival, the workers were given holiday.

“The canteen was closed for the past two days and no food items were sold to the public.

“The stalled food has been removed and discarded totally and not sold to the public.

“The canteen remains closed.”