A mum has told how she thought she had been burgled by rats running riot in her house "moving the biscuit barrel and getting the sweets out of the sweet jar".
Colette Frederickson, from Knowsley, Merseyside said that rats have become a major problem in the area and is even worried about going into the garden because of the size of them, reported the Liverpool Echo.
But particularly worrying are the ones that she found scurrying around her home.
"They've been in my cupboards, my window ledge, on my work top, they moved the biscuit barrel and got the sweets out the sweet jar," she said.
"I've got OCD, my house is always clean. There was rat droppings in the living room, the smell of rat wee. It even chewed through my boyfriend's jacket for a sweet, it had a right field day.
"I struggle with money, as we all are, I paid for pest control and luckily he came out the next day and said I had a problem and put bait down. He had to come back out and put stronger stuff down.
"My son heard scratching in the walls, that was well before Christmas, and after that there was no more scratching and the bait had gone so we assumed it died."
After paying for pest control, Colette said she now has a "dead rat" somewhere in her home, which cannot be found, and is making her house "stink".
She added: "The smell is that bad it's not good for the health. We even slept with the windows open and I'm getting paranoid feeling flu symptoms, when is it going to end? It's out of control. They make my skin crawl.
"Now there's a dead rat that we don't know where it is and there's bluebottles in the house which is getting me all worked up. It's causing so much stress and the council don't see this. The smell is that bad I thought my son was dead and I had to go make sure he was alive. It's doing things to my mental health."
Colette also fears being outside in her own garden due to large rats.
"We wear masks in the house because this rat is missing and there's nothing we can do, we don't know where it is. It's horrendous. I'm even dreaming they are biting my legs," she said.
The council has reportedly confirmed it will continue to work with partners, residents, businesses and landlords to tackle any rat infestations in the area, including sewer baiting, pest control and action days as well as offering advice.
It said on March 1, a day of action will be carried out in the Shevington ward of Kirkby from 10am to 12noon as they urge residents to report issues they face.
Knowsley Council has said: "We work with partners, residents, businesses, and landlords to tackle any incident of rat infestations in the Borough. This includes sewer baiting, pest control, identifying issues that may be contributing to the problems and offering advice about prevention.
"We have a regular programme of action days to target issues impacting on our residents. Our Environmental Health Team will be carrying out a day of action on Wednesday 1 March, in the Shevington ward area of Kirkby. During the day, from 10am – 12noon, officers will be based at Tower Hill Community Centre (Ebony Way, Liverpool L33 1ZQ) where residents can speak to officers about any issues they’d like to raise.
"We’ve received calls for service relating to this area and have responded to them. The area has been baited and will be baited again in the coming weeks. Residents are encouraged to report any issues they have with rats. You can contact our Pest Control team at www.knowsley.gov.uk or our Environmental Health Team on (0151)-443 4712 or by emailing environmentalhealth@knowsley.gov.uk."
