A pensioner has spoken of her horror at finding a nest of mice in her sofa after an ongoing "chronic infestation".
Davina Hamilton, 76, said she wants to move out of her flat in Seacombe, Wirral, after a "plague" of rodents have tormented her - disturbing her sleep and brazenly staring at her while she is watching telly.
The retired legal secretary said she has lived all over the world but has never had the problems she has faced in the last year and a half.
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She said: "I have to deal with this infestation every day. There are droppings in my bed, in my food cupboards and all over the edges of the carpet."
She said the stress of them is keeping her awake at night as she fears them running over her bed and she has had to put her belongings in plastic storage boxes to protect them from the mice.
After moving into her flat in August 2019, it was in the October of that year she started noticing signs of vermin invading her home.
Davina said: "I would find these little black things and thought it was odd how uniform they all were.
"And I started hearing this scratching sound - at first I thought I had tinnitus.
"Like many people when you see the first mouse you think it is only one - but it is not, once you see one there is plenty more.
"From there it has just got worse and worse.
"And this is not about having a clean or dirty home - the mice don't care what your house is like.
"They have run over my bed, leaving droppings in my bedding and they urinate all the time so that will have been all over the sheets too.
"One sat looking at me in the living room one evening while I was watching TV and I thought 'you little rotter'.
"I found a nest in my sofa - it was awful.
"My doctor is very worried about how it is affecting my health, mentally and physically."
Davina said she has raised the issue with Regenda a number of times and while they have sent out pest control to lay bait, she feels it is not enough to tackle the scale of the problem.
She said: "They only seem to treat the effect and not the cause - outside the nettles have grown so much, perfect for mice.
"And the building has stud walls with warm pipes in, again perfect for mice.
"My concern is not just for myself but the older, more vulnerable residents who live here."
A Spokesperson for Regenda Homes said: "We’d like to reassure our residents that we are aware of mice at Maritime Grange, Wallasey, and are doing everything we can to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
"We are working with an external pest control company, who are regularly baiting both internal and external communal areas. They also place bait in apartments when we receive a report of mice from residents.
"They have provided a series of recommendations to prevent mice from entering Maritime Grange, and work will begin next week to seal all identified entry points to each apartment.
"In relation to communal gardens being overgrown, our Grounds Maintenance Team visits Maritime Grange every fortnight to cut the grass, litter pick, clear weeds and trim bushes (if required).
"We have asked them to visit the scheme today to ensure that the area is clean and clear.
"We’re very sorry that our residents are experiencing pests in their building and we will keep them fully updated as we work to eradicate the issue."
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