'I feel sick all the time' says man plagued by rats

A man has said he fears he will be spending Christmas with rats despite repeatedly complaining about rodents overrunning his house.

James Solan, from Oldham, said he had told his housing association about the infestation "dozens" of times.

The 63-year-old said he could hear rats scurrying in the attic in the night and that he has found cereal boxes in the floor in the kitchen after they have rummaged through them.

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) said it was trying to deal with the rats, which are believed to be coming from another property.

Mr Solan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m not a well man. I could do without all the stress. I feel sick all the time.

“I’m worried they’re going to get to my food. If they’ve nibbled at it, you can’t eat it. I can’t afford to replace it, so I’d starve."

FCHO said a member of staff visited in October, and an environmental health officer from Oldham council had put down poison and traps.

It added: "In this particular instance, we have taken several steps to resolve the problem since it was first reported to us by Mr Solan in October.

"We are committed to working with Mr Solan to ensure the problem is concluded as quickly as possible and we will keep in contact to update him on our progress."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected] and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230