Huge' rats plague street as they 'kill pets, eat car parts and damage homes

Paula Palacio, 57, says the rodent problem in and around School Lane in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, began three years ago because the homes are in a rural area with fields and woods

A group of neighbours claim that "huge" rats have overrun their street - killing pets, gnawing on car parts and causing damage to homes.

Paula Palacio, 57, says the rodent issue in and around School Lane in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, started three years ago due to the homes being situated in a rural area with fields and woods.

Initially, you could spot the occasional rat here and there, but as the population began to spread and nests were built, the problem escalated.

Residents allege that hundreds of these rodents inhabit the area, roaming the streets day and night.

Carer Paula stated she has lodged complaints with Welwyn council multiple times - but alleges a councillor said it would be too costly to rectify.

Meanwhile, she claims the supersize pack of rats has damaged her car, affecting the engine, chewing through wires and getting stuck in filters.

Her Mercedes is currently at the garage for a £6,000 repair after rats got lodged in the air filter and chewed through the wiring.

The mother-of-two says her dogs have been vaccinated against bites after being attacked by rats who also killed several of her neighbour's guinea pigs.

The rats are rampant throughout the village and have caused damage to Paula's house by gnawing through her bins, cages and even her pond.

Paula said: "Every household is impacted - and some neighbours have been concocting their own poison, whereas I have been using pest control and currently have 16 traps in my garden.

"There have to be hundreds and I can see three now."

Residents are at their wits' end as a rat infestation wreaks havoc in their neighbourhood, with one local sharing the lengths they've gone to in an effort to curb the rodent rampage.

"We have placed rat poison everywhere, we have a load of traps down, and we've gone through everything to try and stop them", the resident explained.

They've even taken measures to protect their pets, saying, "I've built a fence in my garden to stop my dog from entering the section [where the rats are]. I also have to get my dogs vaccinated against rats."

Despite these efforts, sightings are common. "We've always seen the odd one here and there."

The situation has escalated over time. "It's been going for three years, and rats have ruined my shed by gnawing their way in, and they have got in my neighbour's shed and killed all of their guinea pigs and ruined their cars."

In a community-wide battle, residents are taking matters into their own hands. "We all try to make our poison, and quite a few neighbours do it simultaneously."

The persistence of the pests is disheartening. "Everyone tries to contain them, but I can go out there and guarantee I will see them."

Neighbour Tom Dobson, 50, who has lived in the area for 15 years, notes the escalating problem. The gardener remarked: "We have a garden shed which I clean out rat poop from on a weekly basis, and I have binned one shed."

His experiences with the bin service were particularly alarming. "My brown bin, I stopped using for a while because there were dozens of rats in the bin jumping out as I wheeled the bin down the hill.

"As the bin men took the bin away they all fell out."

While Tom isn't overly concerned about the rats themselves, it's the destruction they cause that bothers him. "I'm not too bothered by the rats - it's mainly by the damage they cause that gets to me more."

Describing the impact, he said, "It's horrible because it's dirty and there is so much waste and the damage they cause, like the chewing, is terrible."

Last year, there was some hope when Paula claimed the council said they would inspect all homes.

She revealed that they recently got in touch with her, promising to lay poison in the nests - but so far, nothing has materialised.

"I haven't had them in my house, but they are all around the house, and it's sadly become the norm," she expressed.

A spokesperson for Welwyn Council commented: "We have visited the area several times over recent years and inspected the School Lane area of Welwyn but did not find accumulations or specific food sources that would attract vermin.

"As a precaution, we wrote to local residents to give advice on ways to prevent rodent activity such as correct waste storage and not using bird feeders.

"We conducted a further site visit today and we will undertake a baiting programme on a small area of land adjacent to Ms Palacio's property, where there is evidence of recent rodent activity. We will also request that Thames Water conduct a baiting programme of the sewers which serve School Lane."