Portsmouth couple with three small children still tormented by mice living in council flat despite pest control call-outs

Chris Masters, 32, and his wife Nicola, 28, revealed they were at the end of their tether after being subjected to the grim living conditions for nearly two years which has seen mice popping up in the oven and a child’s bed.

As reported last month, the increasingly ‘brave’ vermin were running amok in the two-bedroom Portsmouth City Council maisonette at Lords Court, Lords Street, in Fratton.

The vile situation has seen the apartment littered in mouse droppings with them also seen in a pushchair, child’s car seat and clothes. The couple have two boys, aged one and two, and a four-month old girl.

The alarming predicament has been exacerbated by worries their one-year-old boy’s upset stomach has been caused by food contaminated by mice crawling over it.

City council instructed pest control have been to the flat on four occasions since last month’s story to put down bait boxes but mice are still seen roaming inside the address every day.

Chris said: ‘We’ve still got them every day but now only have about two rather than seven of them, so that’s something positive. But we don’t feel the council is doing enough.

‘Pest control has been out and filled up holes which has had an effect but they would not do one hole in the bedroom so the mice could still get in from there.

‘We’ve been told not to use the oven and have made a claim for compensation for that and the pushchair, car seat and mattress that have been covered in mouse droppings.

‘We are still having to live off microwave meals and noodles which are not that good for the children.’

The couple’s desperation has seen them turn to Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan.

Chris added: ‘It’s still annoying living like this.’

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A spokeswoman for the council said: ‘The pest control team has visited the property to investigate thoroughly and carried out work to help address the issue. We have arranged a return visit to the property to monitor the situation and to carry out any further work that is necessary to resolve the problem. We are in touch with the tenant directly about their oven.’