'Rats infesting our gardens are a health hazard'

An infestation of "screaming" rats has caused nearly a thousand pounds worth of damage to a new car.

People living on Colne Avenue in Watford, Hertfordshire, have been speaking to the BBC about the issue, which was first reported in the Watford Observer.

Lesleyanne Walker, 57, is so afraid of the rats that she “won’t do anything in my garden without wearing this suit or my wellies”.

Watford Community Housing said it had "appointed a pest control specialist".

• Listen: 'You can hear rats screaming'

Marina Gvilova, 51, said: "It doesn’t matter what time of day, you can hear rats screaming.

"They’re running here, they’re going through the rubbish. It’s a colony – my cat brings me a gift of rats on a daily basis."

She described the situation as “a health hazard”.

"I have children. But it’s not just me, it’s the entire community. Everyone is suffering."

She said the rats had also caused £942 worth of damage to her car.

"My car is a brand new Toyota. I was away for a week and when I came back the car had a malfunction. The dealership checked and said rats had chewed on the underlay."

Ms Walker is so worried that she wears a protective suit and wellies into her garden.

"I don’t want diseases. I don’t know where the rat urine or poop is – rat urine is dangerous for humans.

"I can’t have the dog in the garden with the rats."

She counted “nine rat holes” in her "beautiful rockery", but said the problem was not limited to their back gardens.

"We see dead rats in the street, the cars run over the dead rats. It's a nightmare."

Ms Gvilova said she contacted the housing trust that owns the properties and got "zero response last year".

"In January, finally a housing officer contacted me. I sent her the picture, she said ‘wow, it’s terrifying’, she said she’d deal with it.

"It’s June, it’s six months on. I want my garden back," she said.

A Watford Community Housing spokesperson said a pest control specialist has "taken initial steps" to tackle the issue.

"We are actively working to identify and address all possible sources of the problem.

"We have also informed the environmental health team at Watford Borough Council. We will continue to work with all parties to ensure the problem is resolved as quickly as possible," they added.

Justine Hoy, associate director of housing and wellbeing at Watford Borough Council, said the council would continue to monitor the situation.

She added: "Rats are common in urban and rural areas, and landowners must legally keep their property vermin-free. To control their numbers and ensure public health, the key for the council, residents, and businesses is to remove food sources and nesting sites.

"Proper waste storage, litter clearance, drains being repaired and responsible bird feeding also help with this."

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