Blind mum left ‘terrified’ by scurrying mice she can hear from her bed

A blind woman has been left ‘terrified’ by an invasion of mice in her bungalow.

Emma Rankin, from Liverpool, has struggled to sleep at night due to the fact she hears the pests scurrying around her bed.

The 37-year-old was moved into an accessible home in May after spending some 14 weeks in an induced coma because of an epileptic seizure.

Her carers started noticing mouse droppings and nibbled food in her kitchen in the following months.

Emma decided to tell her housing provider Torus when the problems began, but so far efforts to fix the problem have hit a wall.

‘I can’t remain in this property, it’s damaging my health,’ she said.

‘I’m already severely ill and I do not want mice or rats running around the place. Even in a normal situation, no one should have to live like this, let alone someone who’s ill.

‘I feel absolutely exhausted from having to constantly keep chasing [Torus] and ringing them up and dealing with it.

‘I am absolutely terrified. I can hear them running around my bed. I am scared in case they jump on the bed and bite me.

‘If they can get on the kitchen counter they can get up quite high. It’s making me feel really depressed and really upset, because I don’t want to be living here. My anxiety is so bad.’

Emma has been placed in hotels for days at a time while work was carried out to banish the mice but so far nothing has worked.

Pest control staff filled in holes in the bungalow but the mice have managed to return.

Emma continued: ‘I have had nothing but problems with mice, and the mice have been getting more and more severe as the months have gone on.

‘Today my carer has come out and found more droppings all over my countertops and in my cupboards, and they’ve been eating my Weetabix. She said: “Look at all the bite marks on your Weetabix packaging”.

‘So the mice are actually getting into my cupboards now and eating my food. It’s a real health and safety risk and because I’m in such ill health as it is I shouldn’t have to live here like this.’

Margaret Goddard, Torus Group’s assets director, confirmed they are aware of the problem.

‘We are very sorry that the tenant feels that we have not done enough over the last few months to help and support her,’ she said.

‘As soon as we were alerted, we acted promptly to get pest control measures in place. Neighbourhoods officers, repairs teams and pest control have since made many repeated visits to solve the problem.

‘The tenant has been placed in hotels on several occasions, whilst work to repeatedly clean the home and carry out remedial repairs have been completed.

‘Despite our best efforts, the mice have returned to the property and we will continue to look for a long-term solution and explore further options, including looking at neighbouring homes and other potential sources.

‘We remain in regular contact with the tenant and are doing all we can to resolve the issue and provide other help and support via our tenancy sustain team and the local authority.’

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