OAP: my garden is rat infested

10:11am Wednesday 31st January 2007

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A pensioner is desperate for help to clear a colony of rats from her garden.

Joyce Nagle believes the rats are being attracted by bin bags left in neighbours' gardens, after Oxford City Council decided to cut weekly rubbish collections to fortnightly as part of its drive to boost recycling rates.

Mrs Nagle lives in council-owned housing in Champion Way, Littlemore, and first reported the problem to the council in November.

A pest control officer has visited several times and put poison down, but Mrs Nagle said it did not appear to be having any effect.

She said: "The man from the council said there was a whole colony of them out there - it's disgusting.

"I think a lot of it is because the rats are attracted to bin bags other people have left out, but I can't do much about that.

"I'm 84 and I can't put up with this. It's not nice."

Mrs Nagle said a pest control officer had been due to visit a fortnight ago but didn't turn up. She added: "I'm just desperate for something to be done."

The pensioner believes the rats may have been attracted by rubbish in bin bags left outside neighbours' back doors.

Earlier this month, Jericho residents reported similar concerns and blamed the ending of weekly rubbish collections for a rat infestation in Great Clarendon Street. Householders said their worst fears about the impact of fortnightly collections were realised, as council staff were called in to clear the vermin in Great Clarendon Street.

As reported in yesterday's Oxford Mail, resident Frances Kennett is threatening to withhold her council tax and risk prison after her home became infested with rats.

In December, rodents were found to have bitten through maggot-infested bin bags in a sheltered housing complex in Old Marston after collections became fortnightly.

Resident Malcolm Everton said leaving the bin bags for 10 days led to maggots infesting them and the sacks were also riddled with holes caused by rats or possibly foxes.

City council spokesman Louisa Dean said pest control officers had visited Mrs Nagle's house three times to tackle her rat problem.

She added: "We were trying to get hold of the resident concerned to arrange another revisit but she had failed to respond to our recent telephone calls.

"We have now contacted the resident and will be visiting her next week."