Shenley residents smell a rat but won't pay catchers

8:12am Friday 9th May 2008

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A Shenley parish councillor has this week criticised Hertsmere Borough Council for charging residents for pest control services.

Councillor Chris Rook said homeowners are refusing to pay the borough's £55 charge for rat catching, with rodents being left free to roam around the village.In April, a pest controller was employed by Shenley Parish Council for the second consecutive year to tackle the rat population in the Shenley Cage Pond, in London Road.Mr Rook, who has paid privately for rats to be removed from his own garden in Ribston Close, said: "The rat problem in Shenley is becoming a bigger issue. "They are consistent pests and many of the residents in the area are failing to report the problems around their properties because of the money they will have to pay."The local authority needs to deal with this environmental health risk as we pay council tax and should therefore receive services like this without charge. "This service needs to be free, otherwise the problem is just going to escalate."Martin Guidera, landlord of the Queen Adelaide pub, next to the pond, said it was well-known that packs of rodents gather in the area.

He said: "It is horrible to come out and see rats in the pond.

"They are brazen and appear in daylight. The pest control people have visited again this year, so hopefully the situation should improve."The issue was discussed at a parish council meeting last month, and council clerk John Marks said: "The Cage Pond is a good breeding ground for rats. "One of the main problems is that people throw bread into the pond to feed the ducks, which attracts the rats."Five years ago we put in a duck feeding machine which allowed the public to buy reasonably-priced, proper duck feed. We put the machine in twice but, unfortunately, both times vandals smashed it up so we can't afford to do that again."A borough council spokeswoman said: "A local authority has no legal responsibility to provide services to deal with rodent problems, so has the right to charge a fee for the service. "Under the law, dealing with these types of problems is the responsibility of the landowner."