Huge rat downside leaves terrified locals in UK gardening in hazmat fits

Residents of a rat-infested neighbourhood have resorted to gardening in hazmat suits as the situation has grown out of control.

Watford Community Housing (WCH) tenants living on Colne Avenue, in Watford, Hertfordshire, have complained of a “massive” rat problem plaguing their homes. They say the beasts are invading gardens, chewing through wires and causing extensive damage to cars.

One tenant, Lesleyanne Walker, has taken to wearing protective clothing when she does gardening after spotting nine rat burrows in her back garden.

READ MORE: Pair trapped in flat and left ‘in tears’ due to rat army taking over iconic London area

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“I live with anxiety and I very, very rarely go out of my home so my sanctuary is my garden,” she explained.

“At the moment, I’m having to go in a hazmat suit and wellies.”

Lesleyanne and other residents claimed they spotted more than a dozen rodents in one fortnight, and suspect the infestation is down to loose rubbish on one particular WCH tenant’s garden.

Tenants have raised the matter with the housing provider multiple times, begging them to do more to tackle the problem.

Pest control officers from Watford Borough Council have visited the suspected problem property three times to deal with the issue, yet a year on, residents are still living in fear of their unwanted visitors.

Lesleyanne claimed her housing officer told her to simply put the dead pests in her household rubbish.

She added: “We shouldn’t have to live like this.

“Not just me, but all the neighbours who appreciate our homes and gardens.”

Another resident, Marina Gvilova, agreed that the “rat colony” was a “massive” problem — especially after the critters chewed through her new car interiors, causing almost £1,000 worth of damage.

Marina was quoted £942 to fix her car after rats “chewed through wiring loom” and ate their way through all the undertray.

The mum-of-three was hoping WCH would partially cover the damages, but Marina was told she’d have to cough up the entire amount herself.

She agrees that the rats are due to the rubbish piling up in the other tenant’s garden.

She said: “Since last year I cannot use my garden anymore because it’s like I’m living next to the Garston dumping site.”

“The smell is unbearable and on some days we cannot even open windows because it goes through the house.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous. They affect our physical and mental health.

“It’s really, really bad. We can’t use the garden because of the smell it’s like living next to a dump.

“The rats are screaming day and night as well. Sometimes I think there’s a monster because of the noise.”

Watford Community Housing and Watford Borough Council have been contacted for comment on the matter.

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