Rats take over family home for second time

A dead rat was left under the kitchen unit for one week before it was removed

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AN INFESTATION has descended on an Oldham home for the second time in a year.

Mum-of-two Suzzanna Bryer, 38, from Hollinwood came face to face with two rats when she opened her kitchen drawer.

The vile smell created by the vermin worsened last week when a contractor discovered a dead rat under a kitchen unit.

Despite complaints made to housing association Contour Homes, Suzzanna has found five dead rats in the last five weeks and can still hear them in the walls.

Miss Bryer, of Holly Lane, is concerned for the welfare of her 11-year-old boy who is being bullied and her 19-year-old son who refuses to go into the kitchen because of the smell.

Miss Bryer had a new kitchen fitted between January and April after rats ate through the back boards behind the previous units, made holes in the walls, chewed through the waste pipe and underneath the washer pipe.

She said: "All my drawers were full of droppings and we had to remove all of our food."

But the rogues returned once the building work was completed and the situation worsened when a "vile smell" filled the house one week ago.

A contractor visited the house to put down traps and poison last Monday though the dead rat was left under the units until Thursday.

Miss Bryer said: "Until the end of August I was rat free. Contour were supposed to concrete all of the walls but they only did two and where the problem was they have used expanding foam and left bare brick.

"I phoned the housing association but it took four days for someone to come and remove it.

"We asked them to remove the units in our new kitchen and he was told no.

"Apparently they can't send workmen in while we have rats because they might get illnesses.

"When I saw one running on Friday my heart went. My collie, Mia, was swinging it around.

"My 11-year-old saw it and ran upstairs.

"No one should have to live like this."

The traps are currently being checked every seven to 10 days.

Judith Winterbourne, managing director of Contour Homes, said: "I'm sorry that Ms Bryer is unhappy with the service that she has received from us. We have previously helped her to tackle a rodent issue but were made aware that the problem returned.

"We have set traps to try to resolve the issue and the team has spoken to her family today.

"We manage over 12,000 properties and reports of rodents are rare. Where they arise we work with environmental health and other local partners. We treat the care of our customers, their homes and neighbourhood as an absolute priority."