Wigan council staff working with families to get rid of rats

Ross Ashton and Rebecca Asquith hit the headlines last week after sharing revolting footage of rats running around their house, a problem which has been ongoing since May.

Their social media post went viral, generating a huge response from both council officials and residents.

Now, Sue Curran has spoken out to reveal the young couple are not alone in their predicament.

Sue, 53, has also faced the same issue at her Golborne home for almost a year. She has found rodents getting into her house after being attracted to mounds of rubbish bags left near to her home, reportedly left out by neighbours.

Among a catalogue of problems, she has found droppings in her toaster and even discovered the pests nesting underneath her oven.

The infestation has exacerbated some of Sue’s health issues, like asthma, prompting her to tell the council: “They need to either get it sorted or get us moved.”

“I don’t want to move, this is a nice area, but I can’t keep living like this.”

She added: “There’s a hell of a lot of people living like this. This isn’t my fault, and from what I can understand, it wasn’t theirs (Ross and Rebecca) either.”

Sue also said she was “horrified to find out how many diseases rats and mice carry.”

Mark Tilley, assistant director for infrastructure at Wigan Council, said: “We have been working with Mrs Curran to try resolve her concerns. We have identified an issue on a neighbouring property that may be the cause but have been unable to gain access to determine. We are currently taking legal action to gain access to complete our work.

“Our pest control service are on hand to help anyone who may have a problem with rodents and we would always encourage people to get in touch at the first signs of an infestation to deal with the issue. There are a number of different factors which can cause pest problems and our team take all potential causes into account when assessing a pest control issue.”

He added: “Residents can do their bit by keeping the waste in the correct bins, making sure food sources are kept securely and all food waste is put in the green bin. Fly tipping can also attract and harbour rodents so please report any fly tipping to us at www.wigan.gov.uk/reportit or through the MyReportIt app on your mobile phone.”

Since their social media campaign, Ross, and Rebecca have been able to move back into their home after it was cleared of the infestation.

A council spokesperson said: “Rebecca, Ross, Ava, Isabella and Lola would like to thank everyone for all their help and support.

“They are settling back in their house which is now a lovely family home. The council’s pest control is visiting every day this week to double check the rat and mice infestation problems are over.”

“We wish them all a very happy future when their new arrival comes along shortly.”