Guernsey Press

Rat infestation ‘like a third world dump’

A ST SAMPSON’S resident has compared a rat infestation at his neighbour’s property to a third world rubbish dump and has called Environmental Health a ‘pussy-cat department’ which is powerless to act.

Published
Tim Carre at his home in Port Grat with videos showing the rat infestation in his neighbour’s garden. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 25656318)

Tim Carre, who lives at Port Grat, has filmed more than 100 videos of a colony of rats in the backyard of his neighbour to the east, after Environmental Health asked him to document the matter.

In one video Mr Carre filmed 25 brown rats in a one minute and thirty second clip, and he likened it to a New York sewer.

He reported the matter to the Environmental Health department six weeks ago and said he was frustrated that little had been done and that the situation was only getting worse.

‘For five years I haven’t been able to enjoy my backyard. I can’t put a barbecue down there, I can’t invite friends over for a party in the evening.

‘I cannot use my backyard.

‘I don’t get it. This isn’t a rubbish dump in the Philippines, this is Guernsey in the 21st century.

‘This is close to two restaurants. It’s close to where children are sleeping.

‘There’s an increase [in rats]and they [Environmental Health] know I’ve got all the video documentation. That was what they asked me for and I did it at my own detriment. It’s not easy to do it, my breathing was affected at first.

‘It wasn’t something that I liked to do.’

Mr Carre said since he had reported the problem, officers from Environmental Health had visited the property several times, but he had little confidence in them getting results and felt he had reached a dead-end so that was why he contacted the Guernsey Press.

In a statement the Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation confirmed that there was an ongoing complaint which the team was actively involved with.

‘We are continuing to liaise with all of the parties that are involved with this issue and steps are being taken to resolve the problem.’

‘We will continue to review the impact of the changes until we are satisfied that this matter has been suitably addressed.’

The back garden of Mr Carre’s neighbour has a chicken pen with around a dozen chickens and a turkey and a number of rabbit hutches, the structures all look well maintained and there is nothing to suggest that the animals are not properly cared for.

The neighbour did not want to provide a comment, but it is understood there has been some tension between the two sides in the past over a boundary dispute and a proposed fence.

Mr Carre stressed that his main frustration was directed at the health authorities, and he acknowledged that his neighbour had a ‘big heart for animals’ who had opened up her home to abandoned and unwanted pets.

Mr Carre added that the officers he had spoken to at Environmental Health had been very pleasant, one had even lost her shoe down a rat tunnel when she had been inspecting the property, but luckily she managed to retrieve it.

However, he felt the department was hamstrung by a lack of legislation or a licensing system.

‘If the main problem is chicken pens, well then bring in a regulation on how to build a chicken pen so that rats don’t get in there.’

‘They have the power to make the legislation.’

‘In the UK and Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth you have to have a license to have over five animals, so there’s a criteria with having over five animals, so if you’ve got five dogs and a chicken you need to give an account of how you are looking after that chicken.’