diff --git a/cypress/e2e/login.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/login.cy.ts
index ecf44fe3..c884d136 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/login.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/login.cy.ts
@@ -401,6 +401,37 @@ describe('Login', () => {
       cy.get('#demo_plugin').contains('Demo Plugin').should('be.visible');
     });
 
+    it('can remove toasts with esc keydown when a plugin error occurs', () => {
+      cy.intercept('/settings.json', {
+        plugins: [
+          {
+            name: 'demo_plugin',
+            src: '/plugins/main.js',
+            enable: true,
+            location: 'main',
+          },
+        ],
+        'ui-strings': 'res/default.json',
+        'auth-provider': 'icat',
+        authUrl: 'http://localhost:8000',
+        autoLogin: true,
+        'help-tour-steps': [],
+      });
+      verifyResponse = verifySuccess;
+      loginResponse = loginSuccess;
+      cy.visit('/plugin1');
+
+      cy.contains(
+        'Failed to load plugin demo_plugin from /plugins/main.js.'
+      ).should('exist');
+
+      cy.get('body').type('{esc}');
+
+      cy.contains(
+        'Failed to load plugin demo_plugin from /plugins/main.js.'
+      ).should('not.exist');
+    });
+
     it('should be able to switch authenticators and still be "auto logged in"', () => {
       verifyResponse = verifySuccess;
       loginResponse = loginSuccess;
diff --git a/src/pageContainer.component.tsx b/src/pageContainer.component.tsx
index b9006ebb..a562ee96 100644
--- a/src/pageContainer.component.tsx
+++ b/src/pageContainer.component.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import Tour from './tour/tour.component';
 import CookieConsent from './cookieConsent/cookieConsent.component';
 import Footer from './footer/footer.component';
 import { useMediaQuery } from '@mui/material';
+import { toastr } from 'react-redux-toastr';
 
 const RootDiv = styled('div')(({ theme }) => ({
   position: 'relative',
@@ -19,6 +20,26 @@ const PageContainer = (): React.ReactElement => {
   const theme = useTheme();
   const isViewportMdOrLarger = useMediaQuery(theme.breakpoints.up('md'));
 
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    const clearToasts = (): void => {
+      toastr.clean();
+    };
+
+    const handleKeyPress = (event: KeyboardEvent): void => {
+      if (event instanceof KeyboardEvent && event.key === 'Escape') {
+        clearToasts();
+      }
+    };
+
+    // Add event listeners for  keydown events
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyPress);
+
+    // Clean up the event listeners when component unmounts
+    return () => {
+      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyPress);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <RootDiv>
       <Preloader fullScreen={true} />
diff --git a/src/pageContainer.test.tsx b/src/pageContainer.test.tsx
index fec64ff2..f31320ac 100644
--- a/src/pageContainer.test.tsx
+++ b/src/pageContainer.test.tsx
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@ import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
 import PageContainer from './pageContainer.component';
 import { StateType } from './state/state.types';
 import { authState, initialState } from './state/reducers/scigateway.reducer';
-import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
 import { ThemeProvider } from '@mui/material';
 import { buildTheme } from './theming';
+import { toastr } from 'react-redux-toastr';
+import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 
 jest.mock('@mui/material', () => ({
   __esmodule: true,
@@ -43,4 +45,22 @@ describe('PageContainer - Tests', () => {
 
     expect(asFragment()).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
+
+  it('calls toastr.clean() when escape is clicked', async () => {
+    const cleanSpy = jest.spyOn(toastr, 'clean');
+    render(
+      <Provider store={configureStore([thunk])(state)}>
+        <ThemeProvider theme={buildTheme(false)}>
+          <MemoryRouter initialEntries={[{ key: 'testKey' }]}>
+            <PageContainer />
+          </MemoryRouter>
+        </ThemeProvider>
+      </Provider>
+    );
+
+    const element = screen.getByLabelText('home-page');
+    await userEvent.type(element, '{Escape}');
+    expect(cleanSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    cleanSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
 });