Pregnant Leeds mum says 'rats as big as cats' have become 'normal’ in area as children try to catch them

Lucy Battle, 22, who lives with her one-year-old son on Chiswick Terrace, said that she and other residents around Burley have complained repeatedly to Leeds City Council and the housing association that she rents her property from – Canopy Housing – since she moved in two years ago but that the issue had gotten “worse and worse”.

She said that living among rats has become “normal” for many in the community, saying: “There’s actually a little boy down the street who plays a game of ‘catch the rat’.

"I used to play Curby as a kid and they are chasing rats round the street with sticks. They just laugh and joke about it.”

Miss Battle said that the rats have been eating food in her cupboards and that she “can’t open my windows or doors without one coming in”.

She said that after raising the issue with the housing association she was urged to put her food in plastic and metal containers and to close her windows.

“I feel like I’m living in a prison”, she said. “How am I going to cope during the summer with my windows closed? I can’t walk to the shop without seeing them. I’ve spoken to my neighbours and they are so sick of reporting it that they have just got used to it. We are all sick of ringing the council. No one seems to do anything about it.”

She said that her two cats are able to kill some of the rats, adding: “Some of them are bigger than my cats. It’s ridiculous.”

A council spokesperson said: “Council services, including pest control, waste management, cleaner neighbourhood teams and Housing Leeds continue to work together to make sure pest problems are dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible. We would advise anyone experiencing any problems with pests to contact the council as soon as possible so we can offer advice and guidance. Further information about preventing infestations can be found on the council’s website.”

A spokesperson for Canopy Housing said: “We understand how frightening it must be for people to find rats in their homes and we always try to deal with situations like this very quickly. In this case, we were first made aware of rats within the home by e-mail this Saturday afternoon (April 15) when our offices were closed.

“We visited the property on Monday (April 17) and checked for any access points for rodents. On the same day, we instructed a pest control company to visit. They visited at 9.30 this morning, checked for ingress points, laid some traps, and sent us a report on the situation. We have ordered a follow-up visit next week, which the tenant has been asked to book directly with the pest control company at her convenience. We are therefore hopeful the problem will have been resolved by the time Environment Health visit.”