Rats! ‘They’re chewing through walls!’: Residents claim rodents infest a London neighbourhood

Increased rat complaints in east London prompt a councillor to propose beefing up the property standards bylaw. CTV London's Sean Irvine reports.

A London city councillor is calling for additional action to control rats, everywhere, but particularly in an area of east London.

Hadleigh McAlister’s plea comes in the wake of the complaints of some residents that the rats have taken over.

Among the concerned is Robert Sheilds, who owns a home just off Egerton Street.

On Thursday morning, he showed CTV News London the latest squashed rodent found in the middle of the road.

It’s just one of thousands he believes infest the neighbourhood and his own home.

“I’ve woken up to one on my body. They’re not scared!” he said with alarm.

The situation is an unwanted stress.

“We can’t live. We can’t keep food. They’re chewing through walls!”

For the most part, Sheids says the rat problem is not created by his neighbours, who he said are embarrassed by the situation.

“Nobody wants to say anything because nobody wants to think that they’re dirty. But it’s not a dirty issue. It is a city issue!”

Enter local Councillor Hadleigh McAlister.

He confirms rats are a concern across the Forest City, but particularly in some areas of his Ward One, where reports of rat sightings are adding up.

Late last year, he called for city staff to take steps to control rats around dumpsters.

Now, McAlister wants his fellow councillors to support a broader response. He wants city staff to look at the impact of rats on all types of housing and some commercial properties.

“I really would like there to be a way to track, especially with rats, what areas are experiencing it and have a quicker response because of the serious health implications of having those.

The plan is not without precedent. Last fall, Toronto introduced a new rat control program.

At its inception, the plan called for hiring staff to respond to crisis areas.

It also includes an education component and a phone number to call to report rat sightings.

The latter is a must-do according to McAlister.

“Because right now, essentially, it just goes in kind of as a general property standards request.”

Sheilds welcomes any changes, but contends he never had a rat problem around his home before the city went to biweekly garbage collection.

“City hall thinks it was a good idea to do a garbage day every two weeks and thinks that there wouldn’t be a rodent problem.”

To protect his home, he has spent $1500 a year on professional rat traps.

He even poured a concrete curb around a portion of his residence last summer. The rats found another way in.

“They’ve chewed right through the cinder blocks,” Shields said as he showed the damage area to a CTV News reporter.

Now he wants the city to take steps to rid the area of rats, “We got a problem. We’ve got a problem now!”

But McAlister is asking for a bit of time.

“If there are more resources required, I still think that’s a conversation as a council we need to have.”