Sheffield family’s fury at housing provider after RATS invade neighbour’s empty home

Desperate residents on a Sheffield estate have pleaded with a housing provider to deal with a rat infestation at one of their properties which has fallen into disrepair.
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Kath Jennett, who lives on Manor Oaks Road in Wybourn, said a Yorkshire Housing-owned home two doors down from her house has been empty since December. In that time it has been targeted extensively by fly-tippers, who have dumped building materials and home furniture in the back garden, including two three-seater sofas.

The result, she said, has been a rat infestation.

Kath, 53, said she and her neighbour Katie Marsden, who lives next door to the affected property, first complained about the problem to Yorkshire Housing in February.

Kath said two three-seater sofa's have been dumped in the back garden of the house among other items.Kath said two three-seater sofa's have been dumped in the back garden of the house among other items.
Kath said two three-seater sofa's have been dumped in the back garden of the house among other items.
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She told The Star: “No one has ever returned our calls. I just need it cleaning up, it’s getting us all down.

"I’ve phoned 20 times and Katie has probably made more phone calls than me.”

The front window of the house has also been broken, Kath said.

She added: “The situation’s just rubbish. I can’t let my three grandchildren play in our back garden and Katie can’t let her two children play out because there’s rats about. People are dumping their wheelie bins on the garden.

Kath said she has called Yorkshire Housing to complain on 20 occasions.Kath said she has called Yorkshire Housing to complain on 20 occasions.
Kath said she has called Yorkshire Housing to complain on 20 occasions.
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"I need them to sort this, the smell is unbelievable. There’s rats running around everywhere. The week before last there were five of them running about.”

Katie shares an adjoining entrance with the affected home and last week discovered a dead rat outside her front door. When Kath told Yorkshire Housing she was going to speak to The Star about the issue on Friday (14 August) she said she was told someone would come to the house on the next available working day, but no one did and subsequent phone calls were again left unreturned.

A Yorkshire Housing spokesperson confirmed they own the property.

They said: “We can confirm that a member of the Environmental and Estates Services Team has visited the address. Upon review, it has been decided to clear the premises and as such a skip has been ordered and when the property has been cleared pest control will attend. During this time we will continue to keep residents updated.”