Sheffield dad with rat infestation tapes up kitchen cupboards after being told to wait six weeks for help

Shain Betts was left with no choice but to tape up the kitchen cupboards at his Manor Lodge home after being told no one would be able to tackle his rodent problem for at least a month.

The dad-of-two said he felt “fobbed off” when housing provider Together Housing told him it would be back in six weeks to fill in the rat holes and left him with no means of addressing the problem in the meantime.

Shain said: “I’ve got a nine-month-old and a three-year-old in the house and I’m scared for them.

"You can hear the rats in the walls at night. I’ve taped up my kitchen cupboards. It feels like all I can do.

"Rats carry all sorts of diseases and I’m scared they’ve got out and weed somewhere I haven’t noticed.

"I just feel fobbed off.”

Following an enquiry by The Star, Together Housing says it has now arranged for a home visit from their team on March 3 and a visit from Environmental Services on March 7.

Shain says he noticed the problem in January and was expecting a visit from Together Housing on February 4, but this was pushed back until February 25.

In a statement, the provider claimed it expected the job to be a ‘minor repair’ but deemed it would need to remove several kitchen cabinets to address the problem.

It led to Shain being told the first available appointment for anyone to come back and fill in the rat holes was May 13.

That left Shain facing 43 days without a solution and no means to fight the infestation in the meantime.

"I’ve got a full phobia of rats at this point,” said Shain. “It’s so stressful.”

Following an enquiry by The Star, a spokesperson for Together Housing said: “I have since spoken with Mr Betts to address his complaint and find a swift resolution.

"We apologise to Mr Betts for inconvenience caused and will continue to make every effort to resolve this issue.”