Rat poison boxes in every Eastwood village garden

The authority has written to everyone in the village, telling them of new treatments being tried – including boxes of poison in all gardens.

The letters – written in both English and Slovak – warn people that they will be fined if they do not clear rubbish from their yards.

Council and Clifton Learning Partnership staff are to check gardens next week (11-13th) and a skip day will be on Erskine Road next Thursday.

Rat poison boxes will be installed the following week and RMBC has warned it may use warrants to access gardens if necessary. Staff will later return to collect dead rodents.

The letter, sent from the council’s environmental health department, says: “Obviously, this is a huge amount of work to make Eastwood a better place for you and your families to live.

“We need you to help us to keep the area clean from now on. This means putting all your rubbish in the bins, keeping your gardens clear of rubbish, and not putting any rubbish at all on the streets or in alleyways.

“By doing all this we can get rid of the rats and stop them from coming back.”

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion welcomed RMBC’s actions, saying: “I know that these problems have plagued Eastwood residents for many years, and I have always sought to persuade the council that piecemeal measures are simply insufficient to the scale of the task.

“Eastwood residents deserve far better. I have stood shoulder to shoulder with local people in trying to improve their community.

“Having visited the area on multiple occasions alongside officers from the council, it is plain for all to see that the approach taken previously has simply not worked.

“This concerted action has been a long time coming and I am grateful that the council has listened to my arguments.

“I hope that residents will co-operate with the project and ensure that Eastwood is a

safe, healthy neighbourhood for everyone.”

But one Eastwood resident said: “ Fly-tipping and rats are only part of the problem. My concern is nothing is mentioned about anti-social behaviour.”