Rat infestation forces family from their home

A woman says a long-running rat infestation has left her family unable to safely live in their home after dead rodents and maggots were found coming through the bathroom ceiling.

Charlotte Lee said she moved into her property in Northampton in 2020 but began noticing signs of rats the following year.

She said the problem steadily worsened, with rats regularly seen and heard "day and night" around the house, garden, and neighbouring properties.

Sanctuary, the housing association responsible for her property, said "significant work is ongoing" to rectify the issue.

Lee, 34, said she repeatedly reported the issue to Sanctuary but claimed little action was taken.

"I first noticed [the rats] in early 2021," she said. "[Sanctuary] told me it was my responsibility to do something."

Lee said she attempted to tackle the infestation herself using traps and poison before eventually seeking legal advice through a housing disrepair solicitor.

Pest control officers later visited the property in Rectory Farm on four occasions and, according to Lee, described the infestation as "severe".

Earlier this month, a dead rat was discovered above the bathroom ventilation system.

Lee said bodily fluids from the animal leaked through the ceiling and into the bath, while maggots later began falling from the ceiling and collecting around the light fitting.

"There's maggots coming from my ceiling into the bath. Apparently, that's safe for me to come home to," she said.

Lee, who recently underwent surgery and has two children, said the situation had had a serious impact on the family's wellbeing.

She said her daughter was frightened and that she no longer felt safe returning to the property.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to come back here and I don't really want to either," she said.

The family is currently staying in temporary hotel accommodation arranged by Sanctuary until 1 June.

However, Lee said she feared being forced to return before the property was made safe.

She told the BBC she was "constantly on the phone [to Sanctuary], chasing for updates" but received little information about what work was being carried out.

Sanctuary said in a statement: "We understand how concerning this issue is and significant work is ongoing as we are committed to providing affected residents with the support they need.

"We have employed a specialist contractor to address the situation, along with additional resources from our internal estates team, and we will also continue to work with local stakeholders – including environmental health and Anglian Water – to ensure the wider issue in the area is resolved."

The housing provider added it hoped to provide temporary self-catering accommodation for the family by next week and had spoken to Lee to update her.

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