The Peabody Trust housing association have been urged to tackle a rat infestation on the Strawberry Vale estate by Labour East Finchley Councillors.  A nest has been identified on Old Farm Road, where up to 20 rats at a time have been seen around the bin stores.

Local Councillor Arjun Mittra said:

“This situation is totally unacceptable. I visited the estate over the weekend and was disgusted with what I saw. Rats have totally overrun the bin stores on Old Farm Road. I have written to Barnet Council asking the environmental health team to work with Peabody Housing to deal with the problem. It is disappointing that Peabody have not treated this as an urgent priority. It must be completely intolerable for the residents living nearby – Peabody must get their act together.”

Cllr Alon Or-Bach added:

“It is a real pity for the estate, after the problems with the gas supply over summer. A lot more needs to be done for the residents after a year of problems.”

Cllr Alison Moore also said:

“With the site being adjacent to the North Circular Road and the cemetery and with large refuse bin storage points rats are always a possibility but it is a problem that can generally be managed. However, the current situation requires urgent action to get it sorted out and Peabody need to work with local residents to ensure a more robust system is in place to make sure the problem doesn’t recur.”