A mum has been forced to sleep in her living room with her two young children due to fears of rats in their walls and ceiling.
Becky Flattery has lived in a Livv Housing Group flat on Oxford Road, Huyton, for five years - and in that time the communal garden has been plagued by a vermin infestation. The 30-year-old told the ECHO the communal spaces are meant to be maintained by Livv Housing.
But the outdoor space is overgrown and covered in dangerous holes - and vermin now live in the garden and inside the flats. Becky, who is mum to George, three, and Holly, two, told the ECHO: "I am on the top floor and you can hear them in my ceiling in the loft.
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"They started above my room but you can hear them in the children's bedroom and living room now. You can also hear them knocking about in the walls. We've brought a mattress into the living room and we all sleep in here now. The children just won't settle otherwise. They're scared by the noises in the ceiling."
The mum-of-two said all residents pay for the communal area to be looked after by the housing association. But the grass has not been cut for months and dog mess covers the ground. Becky said the garden is controlled by rats during the day and she dreads to think what it is like at night.
Becky branded the garden as a "pig sty" and called the mess outside "horrendous". She told the ECHO the outdoor area is covered in holes with exposed pipes. Video footage sent to this paper showed broken barriers and slabs of damaged concrete surrounding at least three large holes.
Becky said: "I can't take the children out there - the holes are so big. It's really dangerous for the children, but it's hard because I can't keep them in the flat.
"When we go out we have to go to the nearest park instead. Having the garden is so convenient and it could be so good, but it's just so overgrown."
The mum and her fellow residents in the block of flats have paid hundreds of pounds to Livv Housing in recent months to maintain the outdoor space. But Becky said the housing association has been "very blasé" when residents have complained about the terrible conditions. She added "people need to know about this".
Becky said it's only a matter of time before the rats are inside her kitchen cupboards, but she has no choice but to stay where she is. She told the ECHO: "I've got nowhere else to go - I don't have any family I can go to.
"I've been on Property Pool Plus for a year, but it's not like I can jump the queue. I have to wait. Living here is affecting mine and my children's physical and mental health."
Tony Cahill, Executive Director of Property at Livv Housing Group, told the ECHO: “We’re aware of the issues with grass cutting in the communal gardens at Oxford Road and are working to resolve this.
“Unfortunately, our contractors have recently been unable to carry out grounds maintenance in line with our schedule. This has been due to the risks posed from several dogs being left loose and the conditions of the grass as a result of dog faeces.
“We do regularly bait the area but haven’t been made aware of any issues of rats or exposed pipes at this property. We’ll arrange an inspection now it’s been brought to our attention.
“We’d encourage customers to contact us to discuss any issues so we can address them.”
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