Woman can’t cook in rat-infested kitchen as pest control ‘killed rodent with own spoon’

A woman has been left unable to cook in her own kitchen because the place is being overrun by rats that keep coming up the drain.

Lucy Coe, 22 lives in a council flat in Stoke, where her kitchen cupboards are covered in disgusting rat p***, fur and smears.

And the support worker said that on one occasion, a council pest control officer bizarrely killed one of the rats with a spoon.

READ MORE: Dad terrorised by ‘scratching sound’ at night discovers rats eating his bed

Lucy says she’s now at the end of her tether because the filthy rodents keep returning, reports Stoke on Trent Live.

“Due to the rats, my cupboards are in an awful state. There is urine in the wood and no matter how it is cleaned, a smell lingers,” she said.

“I am unable to use my kitchen due to the risk to my health and safety as it’s unsanitary and disgusting.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council first visited the property in March when Lucy raised the issue of the unwelcome animals, and officers have since made repeated visits – but so far all to no avail.

Lucy, who lives in the Meir suburb of the city, said: “Previously I’ve had rats in my kitchen. A pest control woman came out. She was moving my dryer and my cooker and hit them with a spoon to kill them.

“She used her own spoon. I don’t know why she had a spoon.”

Lucy added: “The issue was sorted and a hole was filled outside. I thought everything was OK, other than the kitchen being a bit damaged. Then all of a sudden they came back.

“It was in June when I noticed they had come back as they’d eaten the nuts out of my cupboard, and they were nice nuts as well!

“I’ve seen about seven rats. I think they’re all from the same nest.”

Lucy said after a visit from the council in July 20, she was promised action, but nothing has happened.

“Every time I speak to the council I get fobbed off saying I’ll get a phone call. I’m still waiting. I can’t get in touch with the housing office. It’s been really difficult.

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“I pay full rent and I don’t get any help. I work giving back to the community, yet the council that I help out doesn’t give back to me.”

Cllr Carl Edwards, cabinet member for housing and environment, confirmed the pest control team was aware of the issues.

He said: “We have made several visits to the property over the course of the summer to carry out treatments and assess the situation. The outside of the property has been checked for access points with no issues found.

“We are continuing to work to solve the issue and [contractors] will be visiting the property this week to move a kitchen unit to try to locate any access points via the internal drain.”

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