Residents of a Linwood street have told how their lives have been made a misery after they were besieged by a plague of rats.
Families in Stirling Drive are being driven mad after they were overrun by the rodents.
And one resident has even told how some neighbours at the Linstone Housing Association properties have turned vigilante in a bid to rid their homes of the creatures.
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Resident Eve Lipka told the Express: “Some of my braver neighbours have started trying to get rid of them.
“I think they have killed nine so far.
“We have rats in the bin area and in some of the flats . Renfrewshire Council has been notified with photos and emails as have Linstone Housing. No one is taking responsibility and they are simply buck passing .”
Former nurse Eve added: “Apart from anything else, it’s a health hazard.”
The owner-occupier has found tell-tale signs that the rodents have also made their way into her home. She added: “They are in the gardens and round the bins.
“I realised they had gotten into my house when I left a teabag out and it had been nibbled.
“One of the girls on the ground floor is being absolutely plagued.”
She also told how has been forced to call in private exterminators in a bid to rid her property of the beasts, saying: “I had pest control round and they found they were in the loft as well. They’ve put bait down but they have to come back to check it.
“The girl through from me thinks she has them in her loft as well.”
And she told how residents are living in fear, adding: “Some people are frightened to go out and into the close with them around, some are frightened they’ll get bitten.
“One rat is one too many, as they say.”
The fuming resident also thinks neighbours have found the root of the problem, telling the Express: “Renfrewshire Council weren’t emptying the blue bins because someone had been putting general household waste in them and these things are all over the place.”
But the authority was spurred into action after the bins area was cleared in the wake of the Express approaching council and housing association chiefs.
A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council said: “Any complaints regarding rats at this property would be dealt with by Linstone on behalf of their tenants.
“To support Linstone to deal with this issue, we have cleaned out the bin shed at this property and replaced their bins.”
A spokeswoman for Linstone Housing Association added: “‘We are aware of vermin in this area and are working with Renfrewshire Council to help them resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”
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