Fed up neighbours are living with an “out of control” rat infestation which is so bad that the vermin is lunging at them from the bins.
People living in a block of flats in Graham Street, Johnstone, say they are at their wits’ end with the vermin.
They claim it’s so bad that rats jump out of the bins when they open the lids, and some residents living on the ground floor are too scared to open their windows in case the rodents get in.
They say numerous attempts to put down rat poison have failed to tackle the disgusting problem.
Julie Ward, 46, was moved into a ground floor flat in June with her nine-year-old daughter after her home was flooded.
She says the situation is so bad that her daughter won’t even sleep in her own room due to the loud scurrying outside at night.
The distraught mum told the Express: “The place is absolutely riddled with rats. It is horrendous.
“It’s affecting my mental health and my daughter's.
“I’m too scared to let her out in the garden as they are everywhere.
“She is even sleeping on her mattress in the living room because the noise that comes from the rats outside every night is so loud.
“We can’t go on like this.”
Julie says she has even ended up off sick from work after a rat jumped at her from a bin six weeks ago.
She got such a fright that she slipped and fell, causing her to hurt her back.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
She added: “I got such a fright, I couldn’t believe it.
“I screamed and ran away and then I slipped and smashed my back on the ground.”
Another resident, Gregor Fleming, claims he was also attacked by a lunging rat which landed on his neck when he opened the bin lid.
Gregor said: “I got the fright of my life when the rat jumped out of the bin.
“It was horrendous. We shouldn’t have to put up with it.
I have lived here for years and it is just getting worse.
“I feel like I can’t stay here it’s getting so bad.
“The three weekly bin uplifts make it worse as it just attracts them.
“We really need something more to be done to get rid of them.”
The 40-year-old, who has lived in the building for six years, says he and his neighbours have now been forced to move the bins to the street in a desperate bid to keep the rats away.
He added: “It is just getting out of control now. They are everywhere.
“We can’t even keep the bins out the back at all anymore it has gotten so bad.
“They are out on the street which is just unsightly and a whole other problem itself.
“All the bins are chewed to bits because they are constantly feasting on the rubbish.
“Something really needs to be done as it can’t go on like this.”
Residents claim rats can regularly be seen and heard scurrying in the garden of the flats.
Gregor says he was left terrified when a rat lunged at him out of a bin when he heard rustling and lifted the lid.
A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “Our pest control team received a report to this set of flats and have visited on 21 December to carry out required action.
“This will take time to take effect and will be monitored by the team to ensure the issue is resolved.
“We would ask that residents ensure that waste is disposed of correctly using all the bins available and food waste is not left lying in the back court and this brings the potential for vermin.”
Download the FREE Renfrewshire Live app now for all the latest news, features and sport in your area. Available on both Android and Apple. D ownload here: smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial
