Mum and young sons forced to sleep in living - because of rat infestation upstairs

A mum and her two young sons have been made to sleep in their living room after rats infested the upstairs bedrooms and loft - leaving "faeces everywhere".

Ebonie Evans, 29, said vermin have “destroyed everything” at the house in Hawkinge, near Folkestone, Kent - including her £200 trainers.

She claims she has even caught rare Weil’s disease, an illness commonly linked to the urine of infected rats.

Ebonie said: “They’ve destroyed everything. They’ve peed, there are faeces everywhere, they’ve chewed through our belongings.”

The family moved into the house three years ago. Ebonie says problems began in 2022.

She believes rats came from an empty property next door.

They were then moved to temporary accommodation from March to July while pest controllers were brought in.

But now Ebonie and sons George, 10, and Arthur, four, have returned home, the rats are still at large.

Even the family dog Venus, a bulky French mastiff, has not deterred them.

Ebonie said: “The loft is full of faeces. Before we were moved we could literally hear them at night scratching and fighting in the loft.

“I put traps there. One must have got caught. It chewed its own leg off to get away.

“I’ve nearly lost my fingers so many times setting rat traps.”

The rats have knawed on electricity cables, causing a need for rewiring, as well as chewing carpets and sofas.

They have also left mites, plus disgusting masses of urine and faeces.

Miss Evans added: “I’ve had to replace carpets and sofas. It’s disgusting but I don’t know where else to turn.”

She says her bedroom is so badly contaminated and infested with mites that it has been sealed off.

Ebonie has been sleeping on a sofa for 40 days while she recovers from Weil’s disease, while her sons are sleeping on beds set up in the living room.

She added: “I hoover and mop every day - sometimes twice for my own sanity

“But yet still I come home to faeces on the floor.”

Rats are nocturnal and not usually seen in a house, especially in broad daylight. But Ebonie says she has spotted them outside and has blocked what she believes was their burrow in the garden.

The vermin’s presence means her children can’t play there and are only allowed in the front yard.

The loft insulation has also been tunnelled through and her house has had power surges, which she believes is caused by chewed wiring.

Her landlord, property management company Places for People, has apologised for how long it is taking to solve the rats issue.

A spokesperson for Places for People said: “We are sorry for the length of time that it has taken to resolve the vermin issue at Miss Evans’ home.

"We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“Due to the extensive initial works required to the property, we had to move Miss Evans and her family to a temporary home whilst this work was carried out.