People living on a Sheffield estate have told how they have been experiencing issues with rodent infestations as well as damp and mould in their homes.
The complaints have come from those living in the blocks of flats off Hanover Street in the Broomhall area.
Local charity leader and Labour candidate Emily Wilson was told about incidents of rats trying to get into the flats when she held a drop-in advice session earlier this month.
Ms Wilson, 34, said: “Somebody told me that their daughter walks past the estate everyday and they call it ‘rat alley’ because they see so many rats. These aren’t the kind of conditions you would expect people to live in the 21st century Britain.”
One young mum reported that she couldn’t use her balcony or open the window because otherwise the rats would try and climb in.
Large rat warrens currently surround the apartment blocks underneath the ground floor balconies of the buildings.
Dan Sharpe, 55, a long term resident on the estate said: “When I first came about 30 years ago there were no rats. It’s only recently its happened.
“When it gets dark, and you go to bed, you’ll see them all over. They carry disease. I don’t know what’s happening with the council.“
Tenants have also complained about cases of damp and mould and Ms Wilson has also received reports of young children in the building experiencing breathing issues likely linked to the mould.
Ms Wilson, said: “I think the worst case scenario is that you have a child with severe respiratory problems who dies because of breathing issues related to the mould and damp.
“On the spectrum there are already children in these flats who are missing large amounts of school because of their breathing issues and GPs are involved, it’s pretty bad.”
Aden Yasin lives with his four children on the ground floor. The 32-year-old said: “The mould in our home covered everything, the kitchen, the toilet, and we had to complain about it to the council. Health wise, it was really bad for us to be living like that.”
After speaking to several people on the estate, Ms Wilson found that people were reluctant to report the issues because they didn’t think that their problem would be taken seriously. If they had complained, their issues weren’t being dealt with quickly enough.
Ms Wilson, who works for Irise International in Sheffield, added: “It’s like a public health crisis and a tragedy waiting to happen if we don’t get some kind of clear and coherent kind of action.”
“The estate needs some dedicated attention and I think more broadly, a long-term strategy from the housing committee to address this bigger issue in the city where there is a lot of social housing in disrepair.”
Ms Wilson’s is pushing for more involvement between the council and the residents to build a rapport and trust. She thinks this would make it easier for residents to report issues and for the council to be able to react in a more timely manner.
Sheffield City Council have been contacted for comment.