FAMILIES have been forced to stop their kids from playing outside over a foul RAT infestation.
They say it is a daily battle to keep them out of their homes, with one resident claiming they even found a rat hiding under their young daughter's cot.
Alexandra Barlow, who lives with her partner Daniel Gerencser and eight-month-old daughter Laura, says rat sightings in the area grew rapidly when fly-tippers started littering their street.
Soon, residents in the neighbourhood in Bolton began finding them inside their homes.
Alexandra told the Manchester Evening News: “Over time, people started leaving rubbish out on the back street, further down our end.
"It’s almost like fly-tipping is contagious.
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“More rats have been spotted to the point where we are finding them in our houses.
"I have had a rat chew through the wall,” she added.
The takeover got so bad that Alexandra said she had to rip up her own kitchen to lay rat traps.
She says she is desperate to move her family away their home to get their eight-month-old away from the rats.
“A lot of my neighbours have taken the option of getting a cat, but I’d rather not while my daughter is so young,” Alexandra continued.
“It’s impacted my mental health massively to the point where I just want to move. If I had the option, I would move away in a heartbeat.”
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“We had a new kitchen fitted when we moved into the house but it makes me hate where I live which is a shame because it’s our family home.
"I’m scared for my daughter.
"I want her to be able to play in the back garden and have a bike and a Wendy house and it’s so sad that none of that will be possible if the council does not solve this issue.
“We ripped the floor boards up to fully clean and lay traps. The rats got under the cupboard and ripped up the bin bags, possibly for nesting. As far as I know, nobody has spotted a nest."
Since fly-tippers caused the rat infestation, residents up and down the street have complained about the disgusting problem.
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One neighbour has claimed that there are so many rats she even found them hiding under her young daughter's cot.
Leanne Dulce, who says her vermin issues began around the same time as the rest of the street, said: "I watch them run along and hide under my daughter's cot. They have ripped bags open, it's awful.
“I was stood in the back garden the other day and one was just sat there staring at me.
"It's horrible and needs sorting. My daughter can't even play in the back garden due to the problem and we don't have a front garden so there's nowhere for her to play.
"It's tight on the kids and other residents as people think it's okay to dump rubbish.”
I open the back door now and I see a rat run across my yard every single time.
Neighbour Sarah-Jayne Brassington says the issue has gotten so bad she now spots dead rats in the street every day.
“It all started around January 14 when my partner noticed that the rats had nibbled through the bottom of our shed and started to nest,” she said.
“About three days later, when taking the shed apart, we noticed they had given birth and left babies.
"We got rid of the shed to stop this from happening. Ever since then, there are rats dead on the front street nearly every day – around three to four sometimes right outside my front door.
“The problem has got that bad that I am unable to let my autistic child play in his own garden.
"There is a big fly tipping problem in our back street and the steps near a supermarket where bin bags of rubbish are being dumped weekly.”
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Bashall Street and the surrounding areas are part of our scheduled cleaning program and therefore are regularly checked for flytipping and cleared accordingly.
"In May enforcement officers issued a fine to one resident for illegally dumping waste.
"We continue to inform residents of their legal obligation to dispose of their waste responsibly and lawfully. The council offer a paid for pest control service for the treatment of rats in domestic properties.”
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