Frustrated residents who are seeing "rats the size of cats" running in gardens say they are unable to leave their homes.
The ECHO has previously reported on several concerns of rats spotted in Page Moss, as residents say they are "overrun" with the "large" rodents. But one local, who has wished to not be named, said something "needs to be done" as they have been left unable to sit in their own garden.
When asked why they should be "made to pay for pest control" the council said due to cuts in funding, they could no longer afford to offer the service for free. But added this was cheaper than elsewhere and work is continuing to tackle the issue.
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The family told the ECHO they have not long had their garden done up, ready for the summer months, but are unable to sit outside due to fear of the rats. The woman said: "We never had an issue until they started building and the rats were being disturbed.
"We raised the issue with the council and have been told to pay £35 for the rat man but why should we pay? They are everywhere you go. The size of them knock me sick and we can't even let the dog out in case she goes after one.
"The other week me and my husband were sitting in the garden and we couldn't believe our eyes. In pure daylight and one of them stood there staring at us. They make my skin crawl. One run from the shed to the bins and back up again, the size of a cat.
"They are everywhere, it's horrible. It makes me not want to sit out. Not only that we can't have the doors open in case one comes running in the house. The council need to take action.
"But also people need to be made to keep gardens clean and the council should be checking on their residents. People aren't helping by keeping rubbish but something should be done to prevent rather than asking people to pay."
The woman said her garden is "overrun with rat poo" as she finds herself regularly cleaning her garden as the streets are "plagued". She said she has also seen the rats eating through the concrete, leaving "big holes."
The resident added: "They even ate through our first garden shed. The hole was the size of an adults head. It's horrible. It used to be a lovely place.
"But now they are everywhere, you're scared to go out. I let the dog out in the front of a night and I bang my feet to scare them away, they really need to do something."
It was previously reported that Knowsley councillors, council officers, representatives from local housing association Livv Housing and United Utilities were all out in force on the streets of Page Moss in a bid to tackle a situation which some residents say has felt "out of control."
The council confirmed to the ECHO that they will continue to work with partners, residents, businesses and landlords to tackle any rat infestations in the area, including sewer baiting, pest control and action days as well as offering advice.
A spokesperson added: "Despite these best efforts, we are aware there are still some parties who are not following council advice and continue to allow overgrown or poorly maintained areas to offer shelter for rodents. This is causing issues for the wider neighbourhood. We are proactively working to tackle this as a priority and those efforts with partners, residents and business will continue.
"Over a decade of Government austerity, the Council lost around half of its funding and can no longer afford to provide pest control treatments for mice and rats free of charge. It is not unusual for local authorities to charge for this service, and the fee charged in Knowsley is well below the rate charged by commercial companies and represents good value for money.
"The Council is not legally bound to directly provide a pest control service whether free or at a charge. The legal responsibility for controlling pests lies with the owner and occupiers of the premises or land on which they are present."
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