4:30pm Wednesday 4th July 2007
By The Page Turner
Rats are gnawing their way into the home of a North Oxford resident who claims vermin infestation in his area is "getting out of hand".
Branko Babic said he was horrified when rats began gnawing through the floorboards and through the back door which leads to his garden in Middle Way, Summertown.
Mr Babic, who lives in the house with his 91-year-old mother Julka, believes the rats are flourishing because they are eating food in the bottomless composting bins provided at a discount by the city council. He is calling for a return to weekly rubbish collections in place of the bi-weekly collections and new recycling arrangements brought in last year.
Mr Babic said: "The problem with vermin infestation in Summertown is getting out of hand.
"After numerous visits from the excellent council-run pest control service, we are disappointed to find that they are unable to control the problem and now we have rats gnawing their way through the floorboards and doors leading into the house.
"It's shocking that the rats are actually gnawing their way through the back door to get into the house because they can smell the food.
"The pest control officers are putting poison down under the floorboards but they are fighting a losing battle in this area.
"The fortnightly collection of rubbish surely contributes to the problem and I would welcome a return to a weekly collection.
"The spread of rats in urban areas has to be contained because it is a health issue and that should be non-negotiable for the council in the 21st century."
Mr Babic's mother Julka added: "I don't understand how rats are walking about in my home - I find it abhorrent.
"The pest control officers have put down poison under the floorboards and the rats will die and then stink the house out - it's horrible."
Mr Babic's neighbour, Dr Andrew Gant, said he had seen rats in his back garden in the past eight years but there had not been "a plague of them".
He added: "They are quite bold and just stroll across the grass. We are concerned about the health implications because we have three children under eight, but the pest control man is doing as much as he can."
In January, academic Frances Kennett threatened to withhold her council tax after her home in Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, became infested with rats.
Jean Fooks, executive member for a cleaner city, said then that there had been 200 call-outs to tackle rats in December 2005, but the number fell to 145 in December 2006.
She said yesterday: "It's not true to say rat infestations are getting out of hand because we monitor the figures carefully and they are going down, not up.
"There are meshes that can be attached to our discounted composting bins. We do not fit them ourselves but we can advise residents where to get them."
Earlier this month, it emerged that a task force would examine the health risks posed by leaving rubbish in bins for a fortnight.
Oxford City Council spokesman Louisa Dean said: "Pest control officers have visited the resident on numerous occasions over the past few years.
"Whenever we deal with vermin we have to be careful about where we put down bait."
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk