A PREGNANT mum-of-four has hit out after her and her children were placed in a one-bed council house infested with huge rats.
Isabelle Cox, 23, slammed Birmingham City Council after she was placed in the council house for what she was promised would only be three months, but has been over a year.
Isabelle and her four children share a one bed flat[/caption]
The tiny property is infested with rats and Isabelle’s children are forced to share the single bedroom[/caption]
The rodents pose a real health risk to Isabelle’s young children[/caption]
The mum-of-four’s home is infested with huge rats that are attracted by the large, filthy bins behind the property.
They have scurried into the house and leave hundreds of droppings all over her garden, which little son Harley, 7, has been eating.
He is disabled, non-verbal and suffers from an eating disorder known as Pica which causes him to eat bizarre things, including dirt, stones and even wallpaper.
The desperate mother has been left sleeping in the kitchen of the tiny property while her sons and daughters, Annlise, 5, Albie, 3, and Alissa, 2, share the living room and single bedroom.
She told The Sun: “I did tell them (the council) that it’s a real bad safety risk.
“His needs are very complex and he needs his own room.”
Harley, who requires disability living allowance, a carer and motability assistance, has little sense of danger and regularly “escapes” the property, going near busy roads.
The locks in the home are twist style and the lad easily unlocks doors forcing Isabelle to be constantly vigilant.
She worries Harley – and her other kids – may be attacked by a rat when out playing in the garden.
Isabelle’s grandmother Anabelle went on to say: “At the back of the property they have big commercial bins.
“The rats have always been present but when they move the rubbish they’re all in the garden, in the electric meter.
“In the daylight when Harley is trying to play outside, there’s so much faeces.
“They eat through the electric meter and nobody’s done anything. Harley has Pica, he has no release in the house so he’s using the garden.
“We cant keep him out of the garden because there’s twist locks and four foot fences.
It’s a shame he can’t speak for himself, we have to speak for him and we’re ignored, it feels like discrimination against a little disabled boy.
Anabelle
“We should all have a safe guarding issue for Harley, even the Birmingham City Council, there’s no way we can keep him safe with a twist lock.”
She added: “It’s a shame he can’t speak for himself, we have to speak for him and we’re ignored, it feels like discrimination against a little disabled boy.”
Harley’s school have issued several reports explaining the lad’s complex needs and assisted Harley’s mum in her struggle to get out of her rat infested property, she says.
Isabelle’s grandmother said Harley “lashes out at my cats” and “doesn’t have that understanding” when confronted with the rats.
Isabelle has asked the city council if she can be moved to a more suitable home several times[/caption]
The bins are left in a filthy condition, attracting the critters[/caption]
The small garden is overrun with rodents[/caption]
“What if one of the rats attack him?” she said. “There’s so many of them that they are out in the daytime, it will never be hygienic for a kid with Pica.
“He’ll eat anything, grass, sand, stones, wallpaper. He doesn’t eat proper food, he just doesn’t.
“When he was one-year-old we noticed he was quite different. There was one nursery that kicked him out because his needs are so severe.
“Its been a battle to get what he’s entitled to, it seems like the Birmingham City Council has it in for her, she’s been asking for respite.
“I’d like someone to acknowledge what she’s going through but no one listens.”
‘They’ve just left us there’
The family have been moved to hotels before but were left dealing with a raft of different problems.
Isabelle explained: “The other hotel was playing music until two or three in the morning which is very disruptive for Harley. They’ve just left us there.”
The mum says she has been offered other accommodation multiple times but is yet to be offered anything suitable.
She had Harley when she was just 16-years-old and has struggled with mental health battles.
Her family have warned of the impact that living in the grotty property will have on her health and are desperately appealing to have her moved.
Anabelle added: “There seems to be no support. It’s not like she’s purposefully put herself in this situation.
“When you think of four children you think it’s doable but it’s not when one is so severe.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson, said: “We are deeply sorry to hear of the challenges this household is currently facing.
“We know temporary accommodation is not ideal for a family, but a national housing crisis means the accommodation shortage severely restricts what options we can offer to people in need.
“The family have been placed in band A, the highest priority band for those on the housing register. However, there are currently around 25,000 households on the housing register in Birmingham. Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee a timescale for when a council home will be provided. We encourage all families to pursue all housing options, including those in the private rented sector and with housing associations.”
“The family reported an issue with rats in the garden of the property to us in 2024, and pest control teams visited. We will be contacting the family and visiting the property to see if there is anything further we can do.”
Young lad Harley has Pica and has eaten rat faeces before[/caption]
The pregnant mother suspects the large bins behind her home attract the rats[/caption]
The monster rats run rampant in the garden[/caption]
Help! I have mice or rats in my garden…
WHETHER you can hear them they’re scurrying around your house, or underneath your decking, there’s one reason you have mice…
Fabulous’ Associate Editor, Rebecca Miller, is a gardening enthusiast. She explains why it’s not uncommon to have mice, but you should be concerned if you have rats.
“Our gardens are homes to various animals, from birds to hedgehogs to squirrels. But there’s one animal no one wants to find – mice or rats.
“Mice can be destructive, and rats are just downright scary, and send everyone into a panic.
“But mice are common all across the UK – and one or two in the garden is not cause for alarm.
“Wood mice and field mice will easily get in your home since they are small enough to squeeze in almost anywhere. However, they are more likely to shelter in garages, sheds, and outhouses because they provide easier access to the outside world.
“You’re also more likely to see mice inside during the autumn and winter months.
“As for rats, they are generally considered vermin and can spread potentially serious diseases. They tend to set up home beneath decking, in sheds or greenhouses, and compost heaps.
“Rats are mostly nocturnal so you may not see them when you’re in your garden, but there are some signs to look out for: tunnels or ‘runs’, droppings, gnawed wood, or teeth marks in crops.”
