Ray Adams, 64, an amputee, claims he was left with no choice but to sleep in his car on six separate occasions after repeated mice infestations forced him out of his rented bungalow in Hemlington, Teesside.
Adams, a former Royal Marine and dad-of-three and grandad-of-eight, moved into his Thirteen-owned property in Ashdale four and a half years ago, describing it as "great". In June this year, he began noticing sudden movements in his peripheral vision, which turned out to be rodents.
"It was like a flash that I kept seeing," he said. "You know when you think you're seeing things? I got into my wheelchair and went to put the kettle on, and just as I turned around in my chair I saw two mice. They ran from the kitchen cupboard into my bedroom. I thought 'oh god'."
Discovery of Droppings and Health Concerns
Adams said he began searching his property for further evidence and discovered a number of droppings scattered about. However, the droppings became "more and more and more frequent" to the point where they appeared on his carpets, floors, cooker top, worktops, sofa and even his bed, reports Teesside Live. He supplied photographs to support this.
Adams, who served in the Falklands and Norway, said the ordeal left him feeling anxious and worried about his health, prompting him to seek refuge at friends' homes in Guisborough, Sunderland, and Thirsk while the issue remained unresolved. On six occasions, however, he resorted to sleeping in his car, a Peugeot 3008, as he couldn't bring himself to remain in the house.
He said: "It was that bad that I slept in the car and I'm an amputee. I just couldn't face being in the house. I never knew what I was going home to."
Landlord Response and Recurrence
Adams, whose leg was amputated in February 2025 following an accident and 16 subsequent operations, got in touch with landlord Thirteen on June 16 to report the problem. They dispatched a pest control firm to assess the situation, and Adams says they set traps in his loft, near the boiler, in cupboards and other areas suspected as entry points for the pests. Thirteen subsequently attended to fill a hole in the exterior wall, which was also considered a potential access point, Adams says.
Following this, "everything seemed to settle down," said Adams, who grew up in East London before relocating to Teesside in 2018 for a relationship. "I thought 'excellent stuff'." However, last Friday, while Adams, a former bus driver, was sorting through his Christmas decorations ahead of the festive season, he spotted another mouse and contacted Thirteen once more.
He then spotted a further mouse on Tuesday evening darting from a kitchen cupboard, and reached out to the landlord again on Wednesday morning, September 11. Within two hours, the pest control firm had attended the property and confirmed the mice had returned. Additional traps were placed throughout the property, and an unfilled hole in an outside storage cupboard was identified as a likely entry point, Adams told Teesside Live.
"It's been awful," Adams said. "If I'm watching the telly or reading, I can hear them scurrying in the walls. I'm scared to come home when I've been out. It shouldn't be like this."
Thirteen's Response and Next Steps
Thirteen's housing and communities director Kay Glew said: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our highest priority. When Mr Adams raised concerns about rodents at his home, we worked closely with our specialist pest control contractor to investigate and address the issue.
"Following an initial report in June, pest control attended the property and identified signs of mice. Several visits took place between June and September, during which a range of measures were implemented, including trapping, monitoring, treatment and proofing work to prevent further access to the property. Any additional repairs identified during these visits were also completed.
"A follow-up inspection in September found no further signs of mice, and the case was subsequently closed.
"After receiving a further report on 11 November, we arranged for our pest control contractor to attend the same day. During the visit, additional traps and monitoring measures were installed, and further proofing work was carried out to seal gaps identified behind the kitchen kickboards.
"We understand that concerns about pests can be distressing, and we're continuing to work closely with Mr Adams and our pest control contractor to monitor the situation. A further inspection has been scheduled, and we will continue to take any action necessary to ensure the issue is resolved."
