A Scottish mum has revealed she is at her wits end after being forced to live next to an abandoned house and its "eyesore"' garden.
Jennifer Murray, 28, has been driven to despair, and said her three young children were now banned from playing outside - after rats were spotted running by the derelict house.
The mum said the 'jungle' in Calside’s Makbrar Road, Dumfries has been like this for years, and she's been left completely agitated as nothing has been done about it, report Daily Record.
She said: “Enough is enough. The house and garden have been like this for years but the rats were the final straw. We can’t live like this for much longer.”
After being forced to contact environmental health - in the hope that something will be done - she said the owner of the property has now been obligated to take action.
“The house has been empty for a while and I’ve no idea where the owners are”, she said.
The 28-year-old added her young ones can't even go outside and play. She said: “Mice started appearing last year so my husband and I put traps down and the problem went away. But now we’ve got a bigger problem – rats.
"I’ve got three children aged one, three and seven, and there’s no way I can let them out into the garden to play. It’s not fair."
She then went on to reveal that the property is completely strewn with rubbish and dirt, and has been left in such a state that it's becoming unpleasant to live by.
She said: “The smell coming from next door in the summer isn’t pleasant either.
“There’s two old cars in the drive full of rubbish and the windows smashed, rubbish lying around everywhere and you can’t even see a garden out the back now, it’s just an overgrown jungle.”
Jennifer also fears that if a fire were to break out inside, it would spread to her home next door, saying: “This is a real health hazard now and something needs to be done.
“Apart from the fact it’s disgusting and ruins the look of the entire street, it’s not safe.
“The owners need to take action now and if they don’t, I really hope environmental health can do something.”
Neighbours have been complaining about the state of the property for more than 10 years. In fact, some have even moved away after “putting up with it long enough”.
In 2010, pensioner Margaret Reid - who won first prize in the Dumfries Community Gardens Competition for her beautiful flower beds and perfectly manicured lawn - described next door as “dreadful”.
She said at the time: “I try so hard to keep my garden nice, so it’s very disappointing that the owners haven’t done anything about the mess of theirs.”
Meanwhile Jennifer added: “Apparently the council said at the time they couldn’t take action unless rats were spotted in the garden. Well they’ve been spotted now and I hope something is finally done.”
A council spokesman said: “Our Environmental Health team are aware of the reports and will attend. If the rubbish is likely to attract/feed vermin then we will have it removed.
“Our Community Safety Team have no powers to remove any of the vehicles as they are on private ground. We will take action regarding the vermin reports and if there is food waste lying around we will remove this.
“We will of course try and work with the owner to secure a better outcome for the neighbours.”
