'Super hungry rats have eaten my sofa' says young mum of three from Milton Keynes

In just two weeks, the monster vermin have munched holes in Shannon Hawkin's kitchen cupboards, her daughter's bed and even her sofa.

They have chewed clean through her washing machine pipe and nibbled holes in her walls - which allow access to ever more rats. Even cleaning materials whet their appetite and they have chewed through the plastic containers.

Shannon is now so terrified that she has left the council flat in Bletchley's Devon Close and taken her children, Violet-Rose, five, Bella-Louise aged three and six-month-old Vinnie-Joe.

She has accused MK Council of ignoring the problem over the past weeks. But the council has said today it is sending contractors to treat the entire block of flats to eradicate the rat problem.

Shannon said: "My children are petrified to live in that flat and are refusing to go back. "The whole block of flats has rats and they've been coming into my property for weeks now. I have constantly been calling the council and they have done nothing," she said.

"The rats have eaten loads of furniture. They've gone under my three year old daughter's bed, eaten my sofa, my washing machine pipe and made holes in my walls so now there’s all mould coming through.

"A few nights ago me and the kid's dad woke up at five in the morning to our bin moving and a rat came out of it in my hallway and run behind my washing machine.

"The last straw was the other day when I went to make my baby his breakfast and a whole box of his baby food had been eaten."

Shannon and her partner bought their own rat traps but want the council to do a proper pest control job,

"They are not doing anything to help. They just keep saying someone will ring me and I've been waiting for days," she said.

"My children are not safe. I have been left for weeks in an unsafe environment with three young child all under the age of five and no-one from Milton Keynes Council has bothered. I’ve had enough of being ignored. "

The Citizen has asked MK Council for a comment. A spokesman said today: "Milton Keynes Council Housing Services have raised multiple orders with our pest control contractors to directly contact Number 1, 3, 5 and 7 Devon Close to ensure the entire block is treated for rodents."

He added: "Our Neighbourhood Officer had this issue raised on 9th Feb by the tenant(s) and referrals happened the very same day. We are treating the entire block with a view to eradicate the problem within the whole block as it will all need to be treated to be effective.”