Mother who has rats in her house concerned about health of children

A mother who has rats inside her house is concerned about the health of her four children.

Lisa Albon, of Campers Road, Letchworth, claims that Howard Cottage, which manages the property, rejected her request for her family to be re-homed while pest control treatment is carried out.

Miss Albon, who reported the problem on Tuesday morning of last week, was told that the house was habitable after a routine inspection.

She said: “I was told by an environmental health office that rats are inside people’s homes and they just live with it.

“No one seems to be taking my situation seriously. A rat ran over my 12-year-old’s leg at one point and all of my children are too scared to sleep in their own home. They have been having nightmares.

“You can hear the rats at night running around my house leaving deposits on beds, in my bath and on my children’s clothes.

“But their findings are that it is safe to live in my house.”

Howard Cottage Housing Association housing manager, Allison Lock, said: “Our property services co-ordinator carried out an inspection on Tuesday of last week and arranged for the vents at three neighbouring properties to be repaired.

“The council’s pest control contractor has since taken action to resolve Ms Albon’s problem. We have been working with the local environmental health officer, who is satisfied that we are doing all we can to take control of the situation and has confirmed that the property is habitable.”

Councillor Bernard Lovewell, responsible for housing and environmental health at North Herts District Council said: “With repairs having been made by Howard Cottage to prevent rats from gaining access and pest control treatment underway, we felt no reason to move the family out of the property.

“Rodent treatments can be carried out while occupiers remain with baits being laid in safe places.”