A RATS infestation in a street in Nelson is being blamed on a boarded-up house that is littered with rubbish.

One resident, who lives next door to the empty house in Fir Street, saw a rat in his kitchen on Monday and has heard several rodents running about in the roof space and in the walls since the weekend.

Robert Wilkinson rang Pendle Council’s public health team but said he had been disappointed that they had not responded sooner.

He said: “They said it was not an emergency case and that it could take up to 72 hours, but if I have rats coming into my house then I would say that is an emergency.

“The one I saw was only a small one, about five and a half inches long, but I can hear them running about all the time.

“I have put poison down and some of it in the bath has been taken, so I think they are coming through the pipes and into the house at night.”

Mr Wilkinson said the rats were coming from the next door property, which had not been cleaned out since it was boarded-up.

He said: “It was closed and boarded-up around two months ago because of problems with drugs, but it has never been cleaned out.

“There is lots of rubbish in the backyard and still inside the house, which is why it is attracting rats.”

The council said they were due to visit Mr Wilkinson’s house and investigate the problem yesterday.

Pauline Foley, public health manager at Pendle Council, said: “When a resident calls us about a rat problem, we usually call them back the same day or the next working day.

“We make an appointment to go out to their property at a convenient time for them, generally within the next two days.

“Mr Wilkinson contacted us early on Monday morning, and a pest control officer rang him back at lunchtime.

“Despite leaving him a voicemail message, Mr Wilkinson didn’t return our call and so we rang him again on Wednesday lunchtime. We arranged to meet him at his home that afternoon.

“Investigating the rat problem at Mr Wilkinson’s house will help us to assess if there is a problem with the house next door.

“We can then contact the owner of the house to advise on the best course of action.”