Rat infestation in Camus Park one of the worst cases imaginable

  “One of the worst cases of rat infestation imaginable” is how Strabane Glenelly Sinn Féin Councillor Michelle Mc Mackin describes what residents of Camus Park are being forced to endure and she is now seeking comprehensive multi-agency action to finally put an end to their long running nightmare.

She said,

“I was contacted by a number of residents of Camus Park who said that they are literally being overrun by rats both inside and outside of their properties, but little did I realise the extent of the problem until I visited and spoke with them yesterday. I was told that in broad daylight, rats can be seen scurrying to and fro across the back gardens of a row of 5 homes at one end of the Park.

“There is a privately owned house at one end of this row which has been lying unoccupied for approximately 5 years and as the condition of this property has deteriorated, local residents believe that rats have moved up from the nearby burn and have gained access to and could possibly be nesting in this property. The sole tenant at the other end of this block is at her wits end as she relates how rats can be continually heard moving between adjoining roof-spaces and hers and how she has continually found rat droppings in her downstairs rooms.   There is also evidence that rats are also getting into the other Housing Executive properties which, while currently vacant, are otherwise in good condition and scheduled for re-let.  This tenant has contacted the Housing Executive and Environmental Health on numerous occasions over the years and while, there has been a slight lull in the problem whenever rat poison has been laid, the rats have re-merged with a vengeance.

“Another neighbour who I spoke to says that because of the extent of the problem, with rats moving around outside, she simply does not allow her grandchildren out to play when they come to visit.    This is one of the worst cases of rat infestation imaginable and residents deserve to be freed from this nightmare.
“I have therefore been in contact with both Housing Executive and Environmental Health officials and am seeking for them to jointly meet with myself and local residents early next week and I will be pressing for both bodies to adopt a joined up approach to not only investigating the source of this problem once and for all and to provide- a comprehensive solution to it."