'Dickensian conditions' in rat-infested flats

The apartment block is only a few years old

People living in a residential block in Cheshire which has an infestation of rats have said they are living in "Dickensian" conditions.

Residents of Valley Court in Sandbach said there were rats throughout the building and also raised concerns about fire doors which do not close and security issues.

Paul Fernay, who lives with his 10-year-old son in the building, said he wanted those who own the building to "realise that we're not just numbers in flats, these are families".

Housing association Torus, which owns the building, apologised and said a "comprehensive approach" would be taken to resolve the issues.

A pest controller put chicken wire across the hole in Paul's flat to attempt to stop the rats' access

Mr Fernay and his son moved into the flats in March and said they were "really happy" but soon faced issues with rats.

"It started after we've been here about four weeks, and first heard it behind the oven and the extractor fan," he said, adding he thought it was a bird initially.

"I banged the oven and a head of a rat popped out from behind the oven," he said.

He said in recent days he also found a dead rat on the floor of his living room.

A pest control officer was sent out who said the issue in his apartment was from a large hole underneath his sink, but filling it would involve ripping out the kitchen.

After a meeting with the housing association on Wednesday, Mr Fernay said the work had started.

He added he was also told by a pest controller that the complex's rat problems had been caused by a collapsed drain.

"Surely these are urgent cases? What is more urgent than a rat infestation when there's children around it?" he said.

He added he had hired a carpet cleaner and was "constantly bleaching everywhere".

"You shouldn't be having to be living like this. It's 2025 and it's Dickensian," he said.

Paul found a dead rat in his lounge

Dale Hunter lives on the top floor of the building.

He said although he hadn't had rats in his apartment, he had heard them underneath the floor and had other issues with the building.

He moved in in May 2024 but found out that due to an issue with his meter, he was paying for a neighbour's bill as well as his, and is still waiting for an accurate bill.

But his biggest concern is fire safety in the building, as a number of the fire doors do not close.

"If you look at the door outside my apartment, it stays open. The floor isn't straight, so when you push it a bit too far, it catches," he said.

"I'm extremely embarrassed of where I live, unfortunately I'm not in a financial situation to put myself into private."

Dale says he has concerns about the fire safety

Cath Murray-Howard, the chief operating officer at Torus, said: "We are really sorry for the distress this has caused our tenants and the unpleasant conditions they have had to live in; it is clear we have fallen far short of our expected standards in this case.

She said the company had tried numerous tactics to rid Valley Court of the problems, and a "comprehensive approach" would now be taken.

"A full clean-up will also be carried out and once finished, we will monitor the works going forward so the issues do not return," she said.

"Tenants have been incredibly patient and we thank them for this and we will be keeping them updated...

"Once again, we apologise and want to assure them we are committed to fixing these problems as quickly as possible."

A number of fire doors do not close