Gardens invaded by plague of rats (From This Is Wiltshire)

Gardens invaded by plague of rats

10:49am Monday 1st May 2006 in

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TWO Wootton Bassett streets are playing host to some unwelcome visitors following the demolition of the nearby St Ivel site.

Dozens of rats have been seen lurking underneath sheds and next to garden ponds in Station Road and New Road prompting concerns among local residents.

And homeowners are calling on either the North Wiltshire District Council or landowners Kingsoak to sort out the problem before it escalates.

"It all started when they demolished the old St Ivel factory," said Geoffrey Speake, 53, of Station Road.

"The factory is now a big pile of rubble and as a result we've now got rats in our garden.

"I've seen two rats of about eight to 10 inches in length in my garden and I know many neighbours have also seen them behind their houses."

The council has said it can arrange for poison to be laid but there is a cost of £40 per household, which residents are not happy to pay.

"We're worried about having infestations unless something is done about it, but when I rang up the council I was told each household had to pay £40,'' said Mr Speake.

"Why should we have to pay for a problem we haven't caused? The council or the developers should pay to clear up the problem because the rats have come from the old factory."

The council says it will only charge if the rats were coming from someone's house and it will pursue Kingsoak if the St Ivel site is the cause.

Mr Speake, who lives with his wife Judy, daughter Kayleigh and her boyfriend John, is worried the invasion could get worse unless action is taken soon.

"The rats are burrowing down underneath the paving stones next to ponds and under sheds to make nests and if we're not careful it could turn into a serious problem," he said.

"It is not just one man with a rat in his garden, it is the whole area.

"When the rats start having babies we will be overrun by them.

"They need to go round the whole area and treat it like an epidemic."

Bob Wise, 55, of New Road, is worried about his five grandchildren, aged between one and nine years old, coming into contact with the rats.

"We see them running around and it's an invasion," he said.

"Our concern is for the children.

"I have lived here nearly all my life and I had never seen a rat here before and now they're very common.

"It seems since the factory was knocked down the rats have decided to look elsewhere and now they've moved across the road."

Pete Merrit, 71, who lives with his wife Pamela in New Road, echoed Mr Wise's worries.

"It's got quite serious," he said.

"We've got a four-year-old great granddaughter and it's getting to the time of year when she'll be out playing on the lawn and it's a risk.

"It's the council's job I think. It's a public health thing but they don't seem to think so."

Paul Langcaster, spokesman for North Wiltshire District Council, said: "We have not received complaints of a rat infestation problem in this area.

"North Wiltshire District Council would advise anyone who thinks there is a problem with rats to report it to our environmental health team.

"If a rat problem was found to be coming from a commercial property the council would contact the owners of land and instruct them to deal with the problem."

Kingsoak, which bought the land for £19m in 2004 for housing, declined to comment.