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RAT HELL
We live in the shadow of the rich and famous… but our estate is so rat infested our kids are banned from playing outside
AN estate has banned their kids from playing outside for fear of them being bitten in a rat-infested estate which sits in the shadow of the rich.
Residents say they have seen up to 20 of of the vermin running around and shut their kids indoors to keep them safe as a result.
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They even get in car engines and have been burrowing by their homes in the Tanswell estate in Lambeth, South London, which is in the shadow of landmarks like the London Eye.
And video, above, shows a fox picking up a huge dead rat with its mouth. The residents accused the council of doing little to help.
Grandmother-of-three Bridget Leonard, 69, said: “They’re everywhere. They run up all along the pole by my flat.
“The council says it has been solved but it hasn’t been. They’re in my shed so I can’t use it. They’re in my hedges and running all over the poles.
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“I want to tend to my garden but I can’t because of the rats. I saw one poking its head out; it looked at me then went back down into the hole.
"We don't let the kids play out here. We can't when there are rats all around."
Mum-of-two Raquel Januario, 30, said they have to check the engine of their car whenever they set off to make sure rats have not climbed in there again.
She added: “The council has abandoned us. We don’t complain to them anymore because there’s no point.
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“They should be helping the vulnerable people who cannot help themselves.
“It’s half term. Usually children would be out playing but I don’t let them outside now. Families don’t feel comfortable playing outside anymore.
“Before my son would play football with the neighbour’s children but now they can’t.”
Nursery teacher Maira Vaca, 42, added she has had a huge rat live in her pipe right next to her front door and can hear it when she is inside.
And constructor Matteo Orletti, 29. And his girlfriend Nelly, 27, both called the issue disgusting and have had swarms of rats outside their flat.
Store manager Nelly said: "You see them everyday. It's disgusting. Whenever we are out here we see them."
Another neighbour had to give them cardboard just to get to their door in order to walk over a huge pile of rat droppings.
Domestic supervisor Grace Ephson, 58, said she does not let her three grandchildren, aged eight to 12, play outside, adding: "It's heart-breaking and just terrible. I want them to be able to play."
A spokesman for Lambeth Council said: “Rats are a common issue across London, and we take any reports of infestation in Lambeth very seriously.
“Pest control officers visited the estate to assess the problem two weeks ago, and found a number of rat burrows.
"These were quickly baited and backfilled. We have also requested a survey of the drains to see if there are any issues that need attention.
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“We will ensure there is a coordinated approach to deal with the contributing factors such as drainage, waste disposal and regular monitoring.
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"Officers will continue to visit the estate to ensure that these actions are tackling the problem effectively.”
Earlier this year we reported how rats that can tread water for three days have been climbing into homes through toilets.
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