A couple say they “can’t even leave our house” after rats infested their home over a year ago and even with talks back and forth with the council, nothing has been done.

The residents, who live on London Road, Chatteris, believe the rats entered the walls of their house through underground burrowing in October 2020.

They’re sure holes have been made under the pathway next to their home.

Since then, the couple’s lives have been consumed by the matter, taking time out of their daily lives with phone calls and emails to Fenland District Council (FDC), causing issues to their own wellbeing.

“It’s got to the point where it's all we talk about,” said the resident.

“When my boyfriend arrives home, there we are talking about the rats, not about how our days have been but about the rats!

“We can’t live like this, it’s unsafe for both of us and our three dogs. Rats carry so many diseases.”

The couple have followed all the steps from the council, but say they need them to agree to digging up the pathway in front of their home.

They've hired pest controllers at their own expense, purchasing bait, an assortment of traps, sticky pads and infrared cameras.

“I don’t even want to think about how much we’ve spent,” said the resident.

“We’ve been back and forth with FDC and they’ve done nothing since we first contacted them.”

The couple are becoming “extremely concerned” that the rats are damaging their Grade two listed cottage.

“We’ve had sleepless nights with the sound of scratching, chewing and crumbling sounds.

“We’ve had to resort to banging a stick on the walls several times a day. They could be chewing into electrical wiring for all we know!

“We’re just so tired and broken over this situation.”

When contacting Fenland District Council, a spokesperson said: “We’re committed to helping residents deal with environmental health issues at their properties.

“It’s not appropriate to comment on the personal circumstances of any household due to legislation, but we can confirm, in this case, that an investigation is ongoing.

“We’ve been in regular contact with the complainant to keep her fully advised of the situation, and we are due to be in touch with our findings by the end of this week.”