RESIDENTS who are living a ‘nightmare’ have said ‘enough is enough’ after their street was plagued with rats.

Houses in Jessel Street, in the Mill Hill area of Blackburn, have been infested by the vermin according to residents, leading to some people even considering moving home.

Lindsay Davis, who lives in the street with her husband Chris and three children, said they had so far caught five rats in their loft.

Mr Davis has even been dubbed the Pied Piper of Jessel Street by some of his neighbours after offering to lay traps for them.

Mrs Davis, 39, said: “It has been a nightmare. It started a couple of months back when we heard something up in the loft.

“It was a scratching noise so I got my husband to go up there.

“It is horrendous. You can hear them above the bed.

“You don’t know what they are bringing in and with children you cannot have that.

“If we could, we would move.”

Council pest control officers, as well as private companies, have been to the street and laid traps, but so far the problem has not been solved. Mrs Davis said she believed the vermin had been attracted by dirty nappies and other rubbish, which had been dumped in the alley behind her house.

Stephen Dickinson, who also lives in the street, said the problem was starting to get him and his wife Stella down.

Mr Dickinson, 72, said: “We are having to come down from the bedroom and sleep downstairs.

“You can hear them walking, scratching and climbing down the cavity wall.

“I am just glad they have not come down to the living area yet.”

Coun Faryad Hussain, executive member for environmental improvement and sustainability at Blackburn with Darwen council, said large amounts of rain, like East Lancashire has seen recently, can force rats to the surface.

He said: “We have visited Jessel Street and treated the homes of residents who have reported an issue.

“We are also going to investigate the drains for any faults or defects as this is one way rats can get in to people’s homes.

“We are doing all we can to tackle pest concerns in the borough and are seeing a gradual decline in the number of reports of certain pests.

“The council always aim to come down hard and prosecute people caught not disposing of rubbish in the correct manner.”