At first, it looked like the crowd was gathering just to admire the displayed goodies at a Shanghai bakery. Imagine the shock of the staff when they realized that people were jostling not for the wafting aroma but to look at a tiny creature nibbling away on a pastry tray.

It was a mouse - and it was staring back at them.

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The incident happened Saturday at a BreadTalk branch at the Changsou Road Metro station in Putuo district.The mouse's intransigence quickly found its way into social media sites, thanks to a web user with a quick camera trigger finger.

The web user said the staff immediately opened a compartment to let the little gray creature out when they realized what was happening.

But one mouse is one too many and a spokeswoman of the Singapore-based bakery chain BreadTalk apologized for the incident. She said they have destroyed all stock on display last Saturday.

BreadTalk Shanghai added that the premises had been disinfected and that it now has a pest control team inspecting the shop. The team is now investigating how the mouse got inside the shop and into the compartment with the delectable pastry tray.

The mouse remains at large.

TagsBreadTalk Shanghai, food safety, China sanitation