Residents claim “cat-sized” rats are terrorising their Dundee estate.
Locals in the Beechwood area say issues with rodents have got worse over the last year.
Some even claim they can hear the animals crawling around inside the walls of their homes.
Several people have raised concerns with Beechwood Residents’ Group.
Chair Donna Elder, 38, said: “It’s a mix of Sanctuary Scotland, private and council tenants around this area.
‘I thought I’d seen a cat – someone said, that was a rat’
“Everyone is aware of the problem. People have had them in their lofts, wall cavities and gardens.
“One woman had rats eating out of her fruit bowl.
“Over the last year the problem has really escalated, everyone is seeing them.
“I thought I’d seen a cat and someone said, ‘That wasn’t a cat, it was a rat’.”
The former St John’s High School pupil says residents are worried about diseases being spread.
‘The rats think it’s Christmas up here’
Locals fear disused shops on Harefield Road and the food waste being stored at the nearby Marchbanks council depot may be attracting rats to the area.
Jim Elder, 85, who owns his home on Lundie Avenue, told The Courier: “There is a major concern up here about the problem and folk are uneasy about the rats.
“The rats think it’s Christmas up here.
“Folk are now spending hundreds of pounds trying to take their own action to tackle this.
“They should move the food waste down to Riverside so it’s away from houses.”
Wendy Scullin, a councillor for the ward, has been contacted about the matter.
She said: “Officers went out during the day to investigate, they also attended the Beechwood area again at night with thermal imaging equipment.
“They did not observe any rat activity at the time of the visit.
“If anyone sees anything in their gardens or is concerned then they should call Sanctuary or Dundee City Council to report this.”
Dundee City Council says the Marchbanks depot is checked regularly for rodents.
A spokesman said: “The waste management facility at Marchbanks is licenced for bulking food waste, and therefore must have appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as rodents.
“The site is checked regularly and there has not been any rat activity there for some time.
“Properties in Beechwood/Lundie Avenue area are owned by Sanctuary Housing who have arrangements with private pest control contractors, therefore the council would not be contacted by tenants if there was an issue.”
Sanctuary confirmed a specialist contractor was sent out in October after a report of rats in the area but there have been no further issues since.
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