Residents in Plean say they are being plagued by rats - SIX MONTHS after a nest was disturbed by workers clearing a massive fly-tipping dump.
Residents in Gallamuir Drive say that they have seen a sharp rise in sightings of the rodents ever since the nest was disturbed back in June.
The rats spilled into local streets and gardens following a massive clean up of fly-tipped rubbish which saw 155 tonnes of waste removed from a M9 embankment at a cost of £50,000.
At that time, residents in nearby Wallace Crescent were hounded by rodents - with one mum horrified to find nine in her wheelie bin.
But one fuming family member said this week that her 75-year-old father is still trying to deal with the infestation just weeks after he suffered a stroke.
Claire Davis was horrified when a large dead rat was discovered outside dad Kenny’s home.
The gruesome discovery was made on Sunday, December 5, and Mr Davis was forced to fork out almost £300 on a private pest control firm after calls to Stirling Council went unanswered.
Claire said: “My dad lives in Gallamuir Drive and that backs on to the motorway roughly where the council did the clean-up.
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“Dad had been hearing a noise every now and again and we thought it might be a mouse. He has a cupboard below the stairs and he went in there and saw a rat that had made a hole in the wall.”
Claire says her dad suffered the stroke just weeks ago and required an operation. And she says the latest rodent discovery has left him “petrified”.
She added: “He is frightened and now can’t sleep because he’s so scared. Both his neighbours have had them in their house as well.”
She says that they contacted Stirling Council about the issue but have so far not had a response.
It was last Wednesday when the large dead rat (pictured) was discovered in the street by a neighbour.
A Stirling Council spokesperson this week told the Observer: “We understand the sighting of rats within domestic properties can be alarming.
“While the council can provide advice on pest control, it is, however, the responsibility of homeowners to address the issue.
“The council’s environmental health team will also work with landowners to advise on appropriate pest control measures within an area.
“If you have a concern in relation to rats please contact Stirling Council on 01786 404040.”
The latest infestation comes just six months after we told how residents in one Plean street were at their wits’ end with the rodents. In June, we told how one horrified mum discovered nine rats scratching around in her wheelie bin after the nest was disturbed.
Shocking video footage showed the rats piled into a grey general waste bin and leaping in the air desperately trying to make an escape in Wallace Crescent.
Mum-of-six Debbie Burns said at that time her children – aged between 18 months and 17-years-old – were unable to play outside over safety fears.
The fly-tip clean-up was carried out by BEAR Scotland, who began a six-week long programme to tackle the issue.
Stirling Council said in June: “We realise this has been an alarming situation for residents and will be contacting council tenants directly to provide pest control treatment at no cost to them. In the meantime, we would encourage people to dispose of waste and recycling responsibly, using the facilities provided either at home or at recycling centres.”
