A Scots mum claims she was forced to flee her rat-infested home after the rodents made her 'physically ill'. Susan Cardno, from Paisley, was so desperate to get away from the rats that she moved into a homeless unit.
The 42-year-old said she raised the issue with Renfrewshire Council several times and despite them sending out pest control the problem "only got worse". Susan's 16-year-old daughter has moved in with her dad whilst her mum seeks shelter at the homeless unit in Paisley.
Speaking to Glasgow Live, Susan spoke of her torment saying: "I noticed it when I moved in over a year and a half ago, I looked out my back window and there were about 12 rats scurrying around the bin. I was only new so didn't know they were inside the building too.
"About six months later I found a dead one on my kitchen floor - I was hearing noises for a while but I just thought I was hearing things.
"I phoned the council the next morning and they came out with the rat poison again, everything was alright for another maybe two months until I looked out my front window and there were rats trying to get into the bins, about 12 of them."
Susan, originally from Govan, said living in a ground-floor flat causes her more concern. She added: "Around two weeks ago we started hearing noises again.
"My daughter was walking through the house when she saw a rat in the kitchen - it really set me off, my panic attacks are really bad and this is only making it worse."
The pair decided to set up a camera in the kitchen to catch the rat in action, they discovered the rodent was gaining access from a hole behind her cooker.
Susan continued: "I phoned the council again and they said all they could do was put the rat poison down - I can't keep living like this."
The rat poison was placed in the kitchen and bathroom where holes in the walls were visible.
Susan explained she is constantly worried and "looking over her shoulder". She suffers from bipolar disorder which she feels has only worsened with the stress of her living situation.
The 42-year-old claims to have contacted the council again after the poison failed to work however, says she was told they could not fix the holes on that particular day.
The rats had nibbled through the walls and cupboards in all of the rooms in Susan's home, including her teenage daughter's bedroom which for her was the last straw.
She added: "I had to beg the homeless unit to keep me up. The council are helping me stay here now which I am grateful for but I just want to be home and not have to worry about this, it's awful.
"They're chewing through my whole house, I'm so unsettled and I physically can't do it anymore - my anxiety is overwhelming and I am crying constantly. I am under a lot of stress."
Susan finished by saying: "It's making me ill, I just want to feel safe and secure and know there are no rats in my flat, it's all I want."
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "We are working closely with the resident to resolve the issue she is having and pest control measures have been carried out at the property.
"Officers are carrying out an inspection to identify any further work required to prevent the issue reoccurring and we'll continue to support the tenant while this takes place."
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