8:20am Saturday 21st April 2012
A DISABLED man who woke up to find a rat sitting on his bedside table says a plague of the creatures is over-running his part of town.
Ed Havard, aged 61, is a former member of South Shropshire District Council and says that pest control has done nothing to stem the infestation.
“There are rats and mice everywhere and nothing seems to be stopping them,” said Mr Havard, who has a severe disability as a result of a work accident as well as other health conditions, including diabetes.
“At night, I can hear the rats and mice scurrying across the floor in my bungalow and even see them walking through the house.
“I have a dog but that makes no difference, although I know other people in the neighbourhood who have had dogs catch rats and bring them home.
“The rats also do a huge amount of damage and have bitten their way through breeze blocks, brick and even concrete.”
Mr Havard says that the problem has become even more serious since the autumn and is getting worse.
He believes that the rodents are being attracted by food left by people eating junk meals in a nearby play area and well-intentioned residents feeding birds.
“There are people who come to the play area at the bottom of my garden at all times of the day and night to eat takeaway meals that are thrown down, providing scraps for the rats.
“Rats are also attracted by food that is put out for birds and drops to the ground. The rats are simply not taking the bait that is put down because of the alternative food that is available.
Mr Havard has lived in his bungalow in Kennet Bank, off Sheet Road, for 10 years and is a tenant of the St Dunstan’s charity.
He said: “St Dunstan’s has been very good and will repair the bungalow but understandably it says it is not worth doing this until the rat infestation in the area is brought under control.”
Councillor Martin Taylor- Smith, who represents the area, said that he had not been made aware of the problem but would be taking it up with Shropshire Council, where he is a member of the controlling cabinet.
Ludlow town clerk Veronica Calderbank said rats are also a problem in the Temeside area of the town.
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