Sheffield mum and four-year-old son trapped in bedroom of rat infested council house
“We are trapped in the bedroom of the house because we’re too scared to go into the kitchen - they’ve completely taken over”
A Sheffield mum says she and her four-year-old son have been left “trapped” in a single room of their home after a long-running rat infestation spreads through the property.
Rebecca Compson, aged 31, who lives in Shirecliffe with her son Logan Lee, says the problem has blighted their council home for almost four years, despite repeated visits from pest control.
Logan, who has complex needs, has had toys and clothes destroyed by the rodents, leaving his mum struggling to explain to him why his belongings keep disappearing.
Rebecca said: “The rats have chewed through his toys and his clothes. It’s really hard to explain to him why his toys are no longer there or why they keep disappearing because he doesn’t understand.”
She claims the infestation began shortly after they moved into the property almost four years ago and says pest control has visited on three occasions, returning every two weeks during those visits, but the issue has never been resolved.
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Rebecca added: “One rat ran across my little boy’s feet during the day - we didn’t even know it was there. Ever since then he’s been scared to go into the kitchen and keeps crying about it.
“We hardly sleep at night because we’re frightened they’ll somehow get into our bedrooms. They’re everywhere, in the walls, under the floors, in the loft, the kitchen, the porch and even the garden.
“I can’t let my son play outside because we see rats running around the garden all the time - it just isn’t safe for him.”
Rebecca says the home is also in dire need of repairs, but these cannot be started until the rats are eradicated, she said.
“We’ve been asking for repairs to be carried out, but we’ve always been told they can’t do the repairs while we have rats. The problem is the rats never go away.
“At this point, me and Logan Lee just want a different home that doesn’t need so many repairs and is free from rats - we don’t want to live in this house any longer.
“It’s not a healthy environment for him.”
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Rebecca said she can hear the rats beneath the walls and floors and claims they have caused extensive damage throughout the house.
“They’ve got into the kitchen and they’re living amongst everything, our pots and pans and cupboards. They’ve even chewed through the freezer,” she said.
“We are trapped in the bedroom of the house because we’re too scared to go into the kitchen - they’ve completely taken over.
“I’m constantly buying traps, spending about £5 to £10 each time, three or four times a week.”
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She added: “We do anything we can to avoid being at home - it’s horrible.”
“I’ve tried to get in touch with the council multiple times but I keep being told they’re not available. It’s annoying, really.
“I’ve also had three different housing officers in the last three months, so I don’t even know who I’m meant to speak to.”
The council said it is is aware of the case, and that the Housing Service and Environmental Services have been involved.