Bilston tenant says 15 mice removed from her flat in two days

A mother whose home is infested with mice says she was advised by her landlord to get a cat.

Lindsey Timmins said her partner had disposed of 15 mice caught in traps in her Bilston flat in two days this week.

She said neighbours were also affected and the families had raised the issue with landlord Wolverhampton Homes in November.

Wolverhampton Homes denies giving advice about the cat but apologised to tenants for the problems.

Ms Timmins, who is pregnant, lives at the flat with her partner Mark, their 10-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.

"It first started when I had my two-year-old son in the bath and one just come at me from nowhere and I was petrified and didn't know whether to run or what," she said.

She added the noise from the mice could be so loud she had once thought she had intruders.

"I thought someone had got up the drainpipe and got in my back bedroom because the noise was that bad," she said.

She said no-one had come to assess the problem at her home in Slim Avenue until 7 May.

"Me and so many others who actually live here was advised to go and buy a cat," she said.

"On my tenancy agreement it clearly states 'no pets'."

She said she had been offered alternative accommodation but had not taken it up as it was not suitable for her daughter. She also said she would refuse to pay rent until Wolverhampton Homes could reassure her her home was clear of mice.

Another neighbour also said he had seen two mice running around his living room for about two months.

A spokesperson for Ms Timmins' landlord told BBC News it was extremely sorry to hear of the problems the tenants were facing.

They said it was continuing with "extensive efforts to resolve the issue" and steps were also being taken to ensure the area was clear of fly-tipping which can attract vermin.

The organisation did not recall ever advising her or others to get a cat, the spokesperson added.

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