Warwick's pest control services ditched amid staffing crisis

A telephone service will direct callers to private pest control businesses instead

A council will stop treating rodent infestations other than those on its own land after failing to find staff.

Warwick District Council has also struggled with rising costs over the last three years.

Councillor Judy Falp, portfolio holder for health and community, said they had tried to address the issue for years.

"We cannot ignore the issues we are faced [with] by not being able to recruit - there are no pest control officers out there," she said.

A telephone advice service will instead direct callers to commercial pest control companies or other council departments such as the environmental health team if the problem was related to a food outlet, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Labour member Geraldine Cullinan told the meeting: "People are dealing with a really serious problem.

"They are seeing rats in their gardens, rats in the road and rats in nursery play areas. It is a serious problem that I feel can't be left to just the private sector to deal with."

The report said the council was regularly left out of pocket when dealing with rats and other vermin and that the switch to an advice and regulatory intervention service would save more than £60,000 each year with the sale of the two pest control vans bringing in an additional £3,000.

Members of the council, which is under no overall control, were told there had been discussions with neighbouring authorities about joining forces but both Rugby Borough Council and Stratford District Council declined and Coventry City Council stopped its pest control service in July.

The decision was approved at the council's cabinet meeting this week.

Alan Boad, a Liberal Democrat councillor, said: "The simple thing is that we are not providing a very good service now so you can argue as much as you like but we can't deliver the service. Some home truths have to come in here."