A TREVETHIN resident, who suffers from breathing difficulties was forced to move into her daughter’s home after a rat infestation at her flat.
Teresa Gauntlett, 63, who lives in a Bron Afon housing property on Newman Road, Trevethin, said: “We are overrun with them. I had to move in with my daughter because of the smell.”
The Bron Afon housing company said the rats came from the sewage system.
(Image: Tristan Rees) Rat droppings underneath Ms Gauntlet’s bathtub
Ms Gauntlett said: “The smell is terrible. It smells that bad that it physically makes me sick.”
She suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a lung condition which has symptoms that include breathlessness and coughing. She said the smell of the rat droppings has made it worse.
Ms Gauntlett has moved out of her flat for the past month and stayed with her daughter for Christmas.
“The only way the smell goes away is when I leave a window open but it is too cold to do that,” said Ms Gauntlett.
The rats have got into her bathroom and kitchen, leaving droppings and chewing through the walls.
Once, Ms Gauntlett opened her kitchen cupboard door and found a dead rat lying inside.
Ms Gauntlett paid for pest control to help but as so far has not had any success in getting rid of the infestation.
(Image: Tristan Rees) The rats have chewed a hole in a wall in Ms Gauntlet’s flat.
Bron Afon’s Head of Housing and Customer Experience, Emma Fish said: “Our investigations at this address indicates this is an issue with sewer rats accessing through an outside drain.
“It is the tenants responsibility to manage pest control themselves, and where we are required to attend, we may recharge for the costs. Our team has been to the home and carried out investigations with Ms Gauntlett, and given her advice in line with advice she’s also had from environmental health.
We will continue to investigate the issues with Ms Gauntlett and our teams will visit again to address and assess her concerns.”
Ms Gauntlett’s neighbour, Stephen Taylor, said he is having similar issues.
“I have been bleaching my floor two times a day,” said Mr Taylor.
The rats are in his attic and when he opens the latch, the smell spreads through his flat.