AN ORFORD garden that has become overgrown since the homeowner was hospitalised is attracting rats according to neighbours – and council action to tackle the problem has been delayed.

Pest controllers at Warrington Borough Council told residents of Shakespeare Grove that the garden would be sorted within ten working days when the problem was first reported on August 6.

The occupier was hospitalised in July and will remain there for the foreseeable future, and her garden is attracting rats and growing over the fence into neighbouring gardens.

But Joan Steventon, who lives next door to the property, says the work has not yet been done and that the planned action will be inadequate once completed – while there appears to be confusion over who should deal with the problem.

She said: “All they want to do is put down traps to stop the rats and cut a path through the neighbours garden – I wanted it cut down because there are plants everywhere.

“The council are telling me it’s Golden Gates and they’re telling me it’s the council.

“The neighbour on the other side has the same problem – there is stuff growing up the bungalow.

“Something needs to be done but nobody’s interested.”

Around three per cent of homes in the UK have rats living outside them with around 1.5 million of them living in and around homes.