Flats to be evacuated after rats cause fire risks

A mother-of-two said she was "stressed to the max" at the prospect of being moved out for three months because of a rat infestation.

East Suffolk Council said a pest control inspection had revealed that rodents had damaged parts of the council flats on Hollingsworth Road in Lowestoft.

This included damage to the fabric of the building and the walls between homes, potentially increasing the risk of fire spreading between flats.

The council said it needed to "protect" residents, but Natasha Robinson said the upheaval could have been avoided.

The 48-year-old, who lives in one of the flats with her 17-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, said there had "always been a rat issue".

"It would not have got this bad if they had looked into it when they first knew the rats were in the building - it is diabolical," she told the BBC.

"But now it is a mass stress for all of us because we still do not know where we are going to go – I'm stressed to the max and all I do is cry if I am honest."

The latest infestation comes after a similar pest control issue in 2024, which, at the time, the authority said had been resolved.

But Robinson said the rats had returned with a vengeance.

"In my bedroom I can hear them in the ceiling and running under the floorboards and gnawing at the wood as if they're trying to get in my flat," she said.

"They are really loud and wake me up, and my daughter woke up screaming because she thought they were in her wardrobe."

In a report from July, the Regulator of Social Housing said East Suffolk Council - in its role as a landlord - had "serious failings".

The council said all residents would be moved out by Thursday and placed in temporary alternative accommodation while repairs were carried out and the infestation was eradicated.

There would also be a drainage survey, inspection of the roof space and fire‑proofing works, a spokesperson said.

"With fire safety measures in the building potentially compromised, the damage uncovered by this inspection must be addressed immediately," a spokesperson said.

"We entirely understand how distressing this situation may be for residents, and we are committed to supporting them throughout this process."

They said housing officers had been supporting residents.

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