The image of discount chain Lidl, which has been winning increasing customer support in the Irish Republic as the recession bites, has been dealt a blow by hygiene inspectors from the food safety authority.

They ordered the closure of a Lidl store in the Dublin suburb of Blanchardstown for what was described as a serious breach of food safety legislation. During a routine inspection, officers found "aspects of the premises posed a grave and immediate danger to public health", the authority said.

The authority is prohibited from specifying the exact nature of the breach, but a spokeswoman said the closure order would only be served if the conditions found on the day of inspection represented a serious public health risk.

The closure order was lifted the next day, when inspectors were satisfied the problem had been rectified, she added.

The Lidl store was one of three outlets closed by the inspectors. In a general comment, the authority's chief executive, Dr John O'Brien, said food businesses needed to be "more meticulous when it comes to compliance with food safety legislation, so consumers can be confident that the food they are eating is safe".

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