A pensioner who woke up covered in his own blood believes a massive rat infestation is to blame. Ann Roche, 74, and her husband Barry, 78, say rats have invaded their Gillingham home because of a mountain of rubbish dumped in an alley at the back of the house. Whenever council contractors clear it, fly-tippers return the next day.
The latest load included black bin liners filled with food and garden refuse, household waste, and old furniture. The alley has become so blocked with rubbish that parents using it as a shortcut on the school run can no longer get through.
Rat bite leads to hospital trip
The couple, who have lived in the family home where they raised their two daughters for 50 years, are now calling for the alley to be shut. Ann recalls how last year she spotted a rat in her kitchen and then heard it crawling up the pipes to the first floor.
She said: "My husband said we've got mice, but I spotted one and knew immediately it was a rat. I woke up in bed to find blood everywhere - one had bitten my thumb. I had to go to Medway hospital in the middle of the night to get a tetanus jab."
"We were told by the council we'd have to wait six weeks for them to come out to sort it so we went out and spent £100 on traps. Last year we caught three. I'm still finding it difficult to sleep at night."
Family calls for action
Ann continued: "We have fond memories of living here so long. We shouldn't have to be living like this." Her daughter Sarah Roche, 46, who lives with her fiancé Lawrence Soot a few doors away, added her disgust at the rubbish piled up in the neighbourhood.
The mobile hairdresser said: "Everywhere you look there's an eyesore. It's a fire hazard. Nobody seems to show any respect for where they live anymore."
Council response and similar case in Maidstone
A Medway Council spokesman said: "We take all fly-tipping in Medway seriously and encourage residents to report whenever they see it. We will take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecution, when evidence is available."
"Residents are encouraged to report fly-tipping to us through the council website. They can also report incidents as 'Known' if they have seen/are aware of who may have committed the offence."
Elsewhere, a family in Maidstone has experienced a similar problem, with a rubbish-laden alley thought to have caused the appearance of rats in their home. Initially, Dylan Richardson, 20, blamed his mum, Karen, when a hole appeared in a loaf of bread but it turned out it was rodents.
Mrs Richardson, of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, said she had been battling for years to get a back alley cleared and enlisted the help of ward councillor and council leader Cllr Stuart Jeffery. Social landlord Golding Homes has since agreed to complete the clearance of the alley.
