TENANTS at a Hampshire housing block say they are scared to live in their homes because of rats making their lives a misery.

Residents of The Conservatory, off Chesil Street, Winchester, say that the rodents have become brazen, scuttling in kitchens and bedrooms in the middle of the day.

And it marks the second time this year housing association A2Dominion has been embroiled in pest problems in the city.

Infestation at The Conservatory started in April, according to Kate Bentley, 22.

She said: “They are everywhere, cupboards, hallways, they are jumping out at us and running at us and you can hear them at night. We can’t sleep and it’s meant my partner is staying at her mum’s.”

Mother-of-two Emma Tudor, 28, said: “I have been here for two years, I have not seen them in my flat but I hear them at night and it is giving me sleepless nights. I am worried about my children coming into contact with them. I am mortified.”

Part-time carer Amy Brown, 30, says she has had the rats in her flat for seven months and was so terrified that she barricaded herself in her bedroom.

She said: “We have managed to kill two but there are lots more. I see them coming out under my washing machine, and sometimes running across the kitchen floor.

"It makes me feel nervous, I was so scared one time I barricaded my bedroom to stop them getting in.”

According to figures from the British Pest Control Association, Winchester City Council tackled 656 rat infestations from April 2013 to 2014.

The state-backed organisation provides shelter and support for vulnerable people aged 16 to 21.

It comes after the Daily Echo reported in January how six residents living in A2Dominion-run flats in Sussex Street were evacuated and had to stay in Premier Inn due to the smell of dead rats wafting through their flats.

Bosses at A2Dominion say that they have arranged for pest control to treat the affected areas at the development and say they are trying to tackle the problem.

Assistant housing director Anna Burridge said: “We regret that there has been an issue with vermin at The Conservatory in Winchester.

“A2Dominion will always take action to resolve problems in communal areas and to date we have arranged for pest control to treat the affected areas at the development.

“We have also asked Winchester City Council to clear a nearby overgrown area which we believe could be contributing to the issue.

“Within their own private properties, residents have a responsibility to tackle any issues and can contact the local council’s pest control for support.

“We will continue to give regular updates to the residents on the actions we’ve been taking and will help to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”