Worried Residents say their cars have been destroyed by rats escaping from a sewer sinkhole that has been left unrepaired by the council for six months.
The unexpected vermin-filled pit at Manvers Court in Sneinton, Nottingham, has been reported to council property managers numerous times say locals.
But half a year on, it remains patched over with a yellow plastic lid. And one resident estimates that 22 vehicles have been wrecked by the rodents chewing through wires.
Nottingham City Council confirmed a contractor should be on site early next week to fix the issue, which was reported to the local authority as a “cracked and uneven path”.
NottinghamshireLive reports residents believe rats burrowing into the soft ground under the paving slabs and bricks in the entrance to the property have caused the sinkhole.
Initially, when it was reported, the council only provided the two orange warning barriers to warn people that it was there.
Denise Drury, who has lived in the block for 42 years, said: “My son lost his van. He took it for an MOT, and they lifted the bonnet up and they asked him if he’d been anywhere where there is a lot of rats. They found rat droppings in the bonnet. Then they found a cable had been chewed through.
“They repaired it but he was out driving one day, back down here from up north, and his car started making a funny noise and then smoking. He had to get it towed and it was ruined.”
The sinkhole crevice where the bricks have come away allegedly leads down to sewers. Rat droppings are visible in the hollow.
BMW owner Mohammed has taken to spraying his own home-made anti-rat solution, made of cayenne pepper, vinegar, garlic, chilli flakes, rosemary, mint around his car, in order to keep the rodents away. But he’s already lost another vehicle, a Renault, to the rats.
He said: “I wanted that car for my daughter. It’s really sad. But the rats ate every single red wire. They thought it was meat. The cost to repair it and get it back on the road was not worth it. But I can’t lose my BMW. I’m not rich. We’re not rich. We’re poor. Something has to be done.”
Resident Lucio Valentino added: “There are kids that play out here too. That’s an added concern.”
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “The contractor should be on site early next week to fix the issue, which was reported to us as a cracked and uneven path.
“We have already carried out drainage surveys on the site and fixed anything that needed doing. We will also be doing another survey of all of the drains starting next week to look for any more deterioration.
“At the moment, we don’t believe the issue with this manhole is causing more pest activity in the area. However, pest control visited in October and baited the area and we will continue to carry out investigations when issues like these are flagged to us.”
