A FURIOUS resident plagued by rats has bought a snake to help solve the infestation.

Karen Connell, who lives in Princess Parade, took action after spotting rats and mice in her flat.

She said: “This has been going on for a year. It’s making my life a misery. My neighbours started getting them first, then I did too.

"Everyone on my row has been affected. We can hear them in the wall cavities. Two weeks ago, I found one down the side of my settee.

"My son-in-law was staying over one night and sleeping on the couch and a rat was climbing through my window.

"We took a video and showed it to Six Town Housing, who said they would foot the bill so they put poison over my window. The mice kept coming and my dog ended up becoming seriously ill with Weil’s disease. I had to take him to the vet and he was nearly put down.”

Ms Connell initially reported the infestation to bosses at Six Town Housing, who she claims promised to foot the bill for pest control measures.

However, she says they later reneged on this promise and she claims a senior member of Six Town Housing’s Repairs Direct team blamed the problem on her personal hygiene.

Although the council’s Environmental Health team have been out to the flat on a numerous occasions to put poison down, Ms Connell says the problem has continued to persist.

She said: “Two weeks ago I went out shopping and when I came back there were droppings in my food because they’d chewed through my food bags.

"Six Town Housing came out again and I asked if they would still foot the bill for the pest control, but they said no and blamed my lack of personal hygiene. I’m absolutely fuming.

“I asked them if they were being serious. My house is clean and I’m in the middle of decorating, but I have had to stop because of the vermin and they claim it is my personal hygiene.”

Ms Connell says she believes nearby Bury Market to be responsible for the infestation. She said: “I don’t know how they are getting in the building. They are coming from somewhere.

"I have even bought a snake to get try to get rid of them. I have asked people at the market and they say they have had problems.”

Neighbour Rebekah Daley added: “We have all had problems along here. It started last year. Every day we are getting them. It’s disgusting.”

A spokesperson for Six Town Housing said: “Under normal circumstances, we do ask tenants to contact Pest Control to deal with infestations of mice.

However, in this instance, we funded some works that were carried out to alleviate the problem. We are now working with the tenant to find out why mice have returned and how the tenant can help prevent this.”

A Bury Council spokesman said: “We have carried out a number of visits to properties on Princess Parade and are investigating the reasons why some of the tenants are having a problem with mice.

"As far as the market is concerned, however, we have a contract with them to carry out pest control work, and we currently make regular visits to the market to ensure that high standards of hygiene are maintained.”