A mum was left horrified after she filmed a rat stealing her child's biscuit that she had dropped on the floor of their home. Kia Selway claims her five-year-old daughter is scared to fall asleep at night because their home is so overrun with rodents.
The 23-year-old has been living on Merthyr Tydfil's Gurnos estate for more than four years with her little girl, Aria, Wales Online reports. Kia explained how the youngster had been eating chocolate bourbon biscuits in the bath when she dropped one onto the floor.
A large rat then ran out from behind the sink and snatched it away which the mum managed to catch on camera. Kai claims the vermin have recently taken over her entire home and she even found two rats in her kitchen munching their way through a loaf of bread.
She said: "I've also got video of them scuttling around the kitchen. In one clip you can see a large rat running along the skirting and disappearing behind the washing machine.
"It all started about three weeks ago when I came downstairs one morning to find two rats sitting on the kitchen counter top eating their way through a loaf of bread. And since then it's just become steadily worse.
"They are in the attic, under the floor boards and in the walls. They've chewed through my living room ceiling, gnawed holes in cupboards and ripped open bags of food.
She continued: "I can't even prepare a meal safely because there's droppings and urine on all my worktops.". As a result of the nasty invasion, Kai said that she and Aria have both contracted ringworm which is an itchy fugal infection that causes contaminated skin to turn red and scaly.
She also claims that despite her housing associating previously trying to 'block up the holes' caused by the rats, the organisation doesn't have a designated pest control team. Alternatively, Merthyr Valleys Homes advise on their website that if such situations arise, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council should be contacted but 'the cost of the treatment is the tenant's responsibility'.
Kia, who is currently unemployed and receiving benefits, had to pay £40 to book an appointment for rat bait to be put down around her house.
She said: "Aria's now afraid to go to sleep at night because the rats are in her bedroom - they're in mine too. "She won't even go to the toilet on her own anymore. Meanwhile, I'm anxious that each time we eat we'll end up getting ill.
"I've asked to be relocated but am still waiting to hear back."
A spokesperson for Merthyr Valleys Homes said: "Kia first contacted us on January 26 to raise her concerns about a rat infestation at her home. We responded very quickly and carried out an inspection at Kia’s home and identified the repairs that will help resolve the problem.
"We have carried out these repairs over the past two weeks, working with Kia and the local authority. The statutory duty for pest control falls to the local authority so Kia has done the right thing by involving them to carry out baiting at her home.
"To date we have been handling this issue in line with our repairs and maintenance procedures. However, Kia has now raised a formal complaint and therefore from today we will be following our complaints procedure.
"Of course, we will continue to work with Kia and other partners in the Local Authority to resolve this matter as quickly as possible."
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