Catford woman dumps dead mouse on landlord's desk after year of vermin infestation (From News Shopper)

Catford woman dumps dead mouse on landlord's desk after year of vermin infestation

9:28am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News By Sarah Trotter

A CATFORD woman says she resorted to dumping a dead mouse on her landlord’s desk after suffering for more than a year with a vermin infestation.

Claire Minter says she cannot sleep because of the noise of mice chewing her furniture to shreds.

The expensive unwanted guests have gnawed through her carpets and clothes and she has had to replace a wardrobe and bed after their night-time nibbles.

The 37-year-old, who lives in Waters Road, says she has complained to housing association Phoenix Community Housing repeatedly about the problem but with no effect.

After growing exasperated with the situation she says she put one of the dead creatures in a bag on a desk at the Bromley-based housing office.

She told News Shopper: "I said, ‘There is your present for you’ and put it [the dead mouse] on the desk. I got banned from the office.

"It is just getting beyond a joke.

"You can actually smell the mice.

"They are coming up from the floorboards."

The housing office insist they have only recently been contacted and have taken steps to reduce the problem.

Ms Minter, who receives disability benefit, lives with her partner Lee Kelly and wages war on the mice with various costly products and her pet dog Jock.

She said: "It is costing us a bomb.

"I am shattered, I have not had sleep for days.

"I am up at night trying to kill them. They’ve eaten my floorboards, my bed, everything.

"I am up every night, I can’t sleep, they are chewing and chewing and in and out of the bedroom."

Her trusty Jack Russell became ill last week which is believed to be related to the mouse-catching activities.

Ms Minter said: "I thought I nearly lost him . As he caught the mouse he nearly stopped breathing. My partner had to bring him round. He looked yellow and had fluff coming out of his mouth."

A vet informed her the canine mouse-catcher should retire and traps should be used instead but Ms Minter says they are too expensive.

She believes the source of the problem is an overgrown garden next door which also belongs to Phoenix Community Housing.

Ms Minter added: "Next door has a jungle and all the mice are coming from that jungle."

After News Shopper contacted the landlord they sent someone to block up the holes and tidy the next-door garden but Ms Minter is unconvinced and says she woke up to two dead mice the next morning.

She said: "I have had no sleep again. I am still annoyed that I have got mice." 

Phoenix Community Housing response

A Phoenix spokeswoman said: "Phoenix was first contacted by Ms Minter about this situation on September 21.

"Our policy for pest control refers to communal areas only and not individual areas.

"However, we appreciate this is a distressing situation for Ms Minter.

"Our Estates Supervisor visited the home and sealed the mice holes with appropriate mesh covering.

"In addition, we are beginning work on cutting back the overgrown gardens in the neighbouring homes and, weather permitting, plan to complete this by October 1.

"We take the wellbeing of our residents seriously and will monitor the situation over the next two weeks to make that it is resolved to Ms Minter’s satisfaction."