‘I can’t sleep when they’re running around
RESIDENT SPEAKS OUT AT HORROR OF RAT INFESTATION
HOUNSLOW resident who has spent almost a year living among rats is “anxious” and “desperate” to get the situation sorted.
The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous because of the severity of her situation, lives on Hanworth Road close to Hounslow station.
She said she got in touch with MyLondon because she “doesn’t know what else to do”.
Her block of flats, Hamilton Court, which lies right at the Hounslow Central end of the road, has a serious rat problem.
“It started with a severe rat infestation in the outside bins and they are now in my wall cavities and I can hear them running around above me in the roof too at night,” the resident explained.
“It’s so bad. I came home one day and there was this awful smell. A rat had died and it had fallen down behind a skirting board.”
The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that the problem has got so bad it’s affecting her sleep and her mental health.
She said: “I can’t sleep when they are running around. I am so anxious about this.”
The problem isn’t confined to this one person’s flat either.
“A neighbour said they saw rats scratching at my door,” she said.
“One also got into my car and broke the alternator.”
The resident has had this problem since early last year and it’s still ongoing.
“It’s been like this since last April, 2019,” she explained.
“That’s when I first contacted my housing association, A2 Dominion, and they’ve still not sorted the problem.”
In response, A2 Dominion, a large, private housing group operating in London and Southern England, said they are trying to “resolve this situation as soon as possible”.
Dawn Wightman, director of housing at A2Dominion, said: “We are taking steps to resolve the issue that the residents of Hamilton Road have raised about vermin. These include carrying out regular visits and treatment of the communal areas.
“Our most recent visits have noted pest activity around the car park area and the reports have recommended improvements to waste disposal and drainage.
“Our staff are continuing to work with the residents of Hamilton Road to make these improvements.”
Ms Wightman added that the group are in conversation with other social landlord in the surrounding area to see if they can come up with a “joint solution to the problem” as it’s a problem “affecting a wider area than just our Hamilton Road properties”.
She continued: “We are in touch with individual residents about their own circumstances, encouraging them to tell us how this is affecting them. This will allow us to meet their needs in the most appropriate manner.
“We will continue to do everything we can to resolve this situation as soon as possible.”