An elderly couple are still catching rats in their back garden, despite a council investigation to tackle the vermin.

Anita Simpson, 70, and her husband Victor, 86, had caught 22 rats in their well-kept garden in The Glebe, Worcester Park, by the time they packed some into a container as evidence to show the Maldens and Coombe neighbourhood committee meeting in June.

But the peeved pair did not have to bring out the rodents as councillors agreed something should be done.

The pensioners have now caught 35 rats and seen no improvement.

Former nanny and hairdresser Mrs Simpson said: “I’m just getting so fed up. I had caught more – that brings the total to 35 rats. The council is trying to pass the buck.”

The couple have lived at the address for 40 years and have not had any major problems with rats in the past.

Mrs Simpson said she had caught a few last year but the problem escalated in the past few months.

A Kingston Council spokesman said: “During a further visit to the area last night councils officers gained access to the complainants’ property and their neighbour’s property.

“It has been discovered that the neighbour’s sewer inspection chamber was damaged allowing easy access to rats from the sewer.

“The damage has been repaired and we believe this, together with [other] measures, should significantly improve the issue.”

The council said arrangements had been made to clean the nearby pond and bait the area – and a letter was being sent to all residents in the area to remind them of the risks associated with the diseases carried by rats and to highlight things they can do to help control the rat population.

 

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