FED-UP residents in Rubery have hit out at Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) and the council, claiming they have failed to deal with a rat infestation in their homes.
Residents on Birch Road say they live in fear after coming face-to-face with the rodents on a daily basis.
They say the rats are coming from a sewer which runs at the back of the cul-de-sac and into their gardens before finally settling inside their living rooms.
One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Standard: “It’s absolutely horrifying, my family is really struggling with it all.
“If we decide to sit out in the garden during the day the rats are just there staring back at us, and there’s a lot of them.
“I’ve contacted BDHT several times over the last two years but they fob me off to Bromsgrove District Council, who then send out pest control.
“But all pest control do is put down a few traps and it doesn’t stop them from coming back.”
A grandmother, who lives on the road, says she is concerned her grandchild will get bitten.
“I blame the council but also BDHT because its staff are just shrugging their shoulders instead of seriously trying to help us out,” she said.
Councillor for Rubery, Coun Peter McDonald, recently had a flurry of complaints from residents when he held his most recent surgery.
They told him that the rats were ‘huge’ and the situation was only ‘getting worse’.
He said: “Rats are not only a serious health risk and can cause various diseases but they also inflict a great amount of structural damage.
“They can cause serious fires by gnawing away at electrical cables, floods by puncturing pipes and even death by chewing through gas pipes.
“Nobody should have to live in conditions where rats are a threat to their health and wellbeing.”
Graeme Anderson, director of housing & communities at BDHT, said: “We recognise pest control problems can be very distressing.
“We are committed to working closely with Bromsgrove council and the Environmental Services in supporting any residents with concerns specific to our properties.
“As far as we are aware, there have never been any rats in our properties.
“If our customers are experiencing this, they can contact us, and we will deal with it immediately.’
Graeme advises customers call BDHT on 0800085016 so the housing trust can put them in touch with a local pest control specialist.
