7:20am Friday 10th July 2009
By Andy Simmonds
RATCATCHERS will be back on the streets in Test Valley – a year after the free service was axed.
Council bosses were so concerned that residents were trying to deal with infestations themselves they have been forced to reintroduce the service – but at a price.
All but vulnerable residents will be charged £39 per infestation treatment under a new charging system which is being brought in to pay for the service.
Officials axed the previous free treatment system because of a huge increase in demand – resulting in the council’s three ratcatchers being unable to cope with their workload and residents were urged to contact private pest control companies to deal with rats.
The authority’s cabinet spokeswoman for housing, health and communities, councillor Sandra Hawke said that decision had now been revered following concerns over a rise in infestations that were not being dealt with appropriately.
She said: “We took the decision to limit our service following an unprecedented increase in demand for the council’s free rodent treatments.
“We were concerned that residents were trying to deal with infestations themselves or that they are doing nothing about them. This would mean that rodents would become resistant to treatments or that infestations would increase."
However, the new charges have come in for criticism from Test Valley councillor Alan Dowden who said the service should be free to all.
Councillor Dowden said: “Rats continue to breed and with climate change and warmer winters predicted rodent numbers are going to grow even more. I have expressed concerns about this many times. You only have to look back at history to see what’s happened in the past with diseases spread by rats. “ A fourth pest control officer has been appointed under the new structure. The authority claims the new charge is broadly in line with other local councils.
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