Disabled woman too scared to use her own garden after 'rat bite' at infested bungalow
A DISABLED woman has claimed she was bitten by a rat after falling down her council flat's sloping garden.
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Michelle Dudley, 41, has lived in her Tipton bungalow for four years. However, within the first year of living there, she fell and ended up in A&E. Ms Dudley told BlackCountryLive she was given just 30 minutes by the council to “make up her mind” about taking the bungalow.
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This was despite the sloped garden behind the property.
She added that she was disabled and needed the property, due to nerve damage in her face, back and shoulder.
When she fell over in her garden, Ms Dudley said she was then bitten by a rat.
She added that she had to have a tetanus injection after feeling the “bite” on her finger and then seeing a rat run from the garden.
She told BlackCountryLive: "I had 30 minutes to make up my mind on this bungalow so I took it.
"There's a great big slope in the garden, I fell down that and was bitten by a rat.
"I was a bit stunned for a bit and felt this bite on my finger and saw the rat under my neighbour's fence.
“It was all a bit of a shock. I bumped my head on a concrete fence stump in the garden.
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"The garden was infested with rats and I've got a phobia of them. My dad had to keep coming and moving them from the garden.
"I've been onto the council about the garden. I haven't used the garden ever since. I was absolutely petrified.
"I've want the council to come and sort the garden but they said no it's landscaping."
Miss Dudley said after telling the council they sent someone to lay rat traps and said someone would come and remove them, but her dad removed them.
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A Sandwell Council spokesman said: “The council did receive and respond to requests from this tenant for pest control services in 2019.
“There have been no further requests since then.
“If pest control services are required, residents can make an appointment online at www.sandwell.gov.uk/pestcontrol or by calling our contact centre
on 0121 368 1177 Option 7.
“We have carried out some remedial work on the garden, and we will make arrangements to visit the tenant to discuss any outstanding concerns.”
