'Rats are eating the walls of my mould-infested flat' says Milton Keynes tenant

A single mum is sharing her council flat with a tribe of ‘super rats’ who she says are literally eating their way through her walls.

Lauren Blair can hear the creatures scurrying about inside the plasterboard internal walls, which sport rate-sized holes surrounded by tiny teeth marks.

She is now demanding to be moved from the council-owned Netherfield property while contractors rip down walls to rectify the problem.

Several visits from pest controllers have failed to eradicate the unwelcome guests, who Lauren believes are attracted by the mouldy and damp conditions inside the flat.

"Inside the walls, where the rats have nibbled holes, you can see thick black mould. That’s why it’s so easy for them to bite through,” she said.

My three-year-old son and I are having to live with two things that are highly dangerous to our health – rats and mould. Already my son has asthma and I fear these conditions could make him very ill.”

Lauren, who is 27, did a home swap with another council tenant to secure the ground floor Beadlemead flat a year ago. All was fine until she noticed a hole in the wall leading to her back garden.

"That’s where the rats are getting in. Once they’re in, they make their home inside my internal walls, nibbling through the mouldy stuff. You can actually see their teeth marks around the holes,” she said.

"They drag food in through the holes and make themselves at home. At nights, the noise of them scurrying around and gnawing is so loud that it wakes me up. And the smell is horrible at times.

"The pest control people have put rat killer down a few times but nothing seems to get rid of them.”

In the past, the Citizen has run stories about ‘super rats’ as big as small cats who seem to be immune to rat poison in Milton Keynes.

Lauren’s problem were exacerbated by a leaking pipe in the flat earlier this month. Though this has been repaired, the water and ensuing dampness has caused one wall in the bathroom to partially collapse and council surveyors have agreed this must be demolished and replaced.

“I actually think the problem is so bad that most of the walls need to be knocked down and rebuilt,” said Lauren. “But the problem is that the council seems to think I could stay here while the work is being done.

"I just want my son and I to be rehoused temporarily to somewhere that is safe and clean. Even a hotel room would do.

"My flat is literally being eaten by rats. And it’s infested with black mould. These are not a problem anyone should be expected to live with.”

Lauren is this week waiting to hear whether the council’s housing department will agree to a move.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes City Council said today (Thursday): “We’ve asked our contractor to complete repairs following a leak as soon as possible, and we’ve also commissioned experts to deal with the rodents.

"Following our most recent visit yesterday, we’ll update our tenant on the steps we’re taking to fix the problems.”