Staveley mum 'angry' after rats investation leaves her children sick

Caroline Morton moved into the rented property on College Avenue in June with her three children who are aged six, five and 11-months.

The single mum says the infestation was caused as a result of work being caried out by Chesterfield Borough Council and Severn Trent Water because the property had a problem with subsidence when she first moved in.

The 30-year-old has been living with the problem for nearly two weeks and says that she can hear the rodents scuttling around the home and she has also found rat droppings on the kitchen surface.

A letter signed by Caroline’s GP says it is “imperative” that something is done as the children have been unwell and suffering from vomiting.

“My children have started being poorly and being sick,” Caroline said.

“I am quite angry to be honest.

“They are expecting me and my children to live somewhere which is rat infested. I have to cook food in the kitchen and the rats are in the kitchen cupboard.”

Caroline says the council initially refused to carry out any work as she claims she was told that she would need to fund the repair work herself.

Environmental Health have since been round to the property to put rat poison down and the council have carried out more work but Caroline says the rats are still there.

“My eldest daughter woke up terrified because she could hear the rats running around,” Caroline added.

Councillor Tom Murphy, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing said: “We appreciate how distressing it is for Ms Morton and her family to have a rat in their home. We are working with the family to remove the rat. We will visit again and remove the kick board under the cupboard which will enable pest control treatments to be carried out that should resolve the problem.”