Terrified young family demand new council home after rat invasion leaves trail of destruction
Jonathan Kirkup, 26, is being forced to pick up enormous dropping left behind and flush them down the toilet
A FAMILY are demanding a new home after giant rats invaded their council property.
The Kirkup family from Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne, have been living in fear of the rodents that scurry around their house at night.
Dad Jonathan, 26, said: "It is horrible living here."
He has requested for his partner and two-year-old son to be relocated to a new home by Your Homes Newcastle.
Jonathan, who is unemployed, added: "You are frightened that they are going to come out at night when you are asleep or end up in my son's bed.
"And to make it worse, I hate rats."
The family moved into the property in Mostyn Green last September, on their son's first birthday.
"I've had to pick up rat droppings and put them in the toilet - it is disgusting," Jonathan claimed.
"I've had to pull the carpet up and bin it and I can hear them at night, scratching away and chewing through stuff.
"One of them even ran across my kitchen floor the other night and it was massive."
Jonathan and his partner Amy Burini, 25, have taken pictures of the 'giant' rats and their enormous droppings.
As well as calling pest control, Jonathan has now contacted his local MP to demand an intervention.
Liz Archer, Assistant Director of Housing Services said: “We are sorry that Mr Kirkup and his family have experienced issues with rats in their property and are working to try to resolve this as quickly as possible.
“We understand that Mr Kirkup would like to leave the property and we have spoken to the family to discuss their options for alternative accommodation, which they can move into immediately.
“Our repairs and maintenance service has visited the property several times, working to fill in holes and block other areas where rats may be able to get through.
"New grates for the gullies near to the property have also been ordered to stop this potential access route.
"The parts needed for this are expected to arrive later this week, in the meantime temporary covers are being added until the more permanent ones can be put into place.
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“Newcastle City Council provides a pest control service for the treatment of rats and post treatment advice if relevant.
"In the last 12 months the pest control team have acted on and attended to reports from three properties on this street. From each of these reports, treatments and the necessary follow up visits have been carried out.”
Jonathan said: "All I want is to be out."
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