Reading woman forced to kill 110 rats due to 'illegal' work

Patricia Tynan, 74, who lives in Hawk Cottages off Silver Street has complained for a number of years regarding building in her street that she claims has led to a rat infestation.

The resident reports that problems began on Good Friday 2020, when work started on the construction of two shed-like structures opposite Hawk Cottages at a secured building site in Silver Street.

Mrs Tynan claims the two structures have been built without a plan submitted or permission granted by Reading Borough Council.

However, the most severe issue she is facing is a rat infestation, which she claims was triggered when builders left their rubbish on site sometime in 2020.

Since then, she says she has had to exterminate more than 100 rats using either traps, with a family member jokingly gifting her a ‘verminator’ sign due to the amount of rats she has euthanised.

A comical sign that a family member of Patricia Tynan put up. She says she has been forced to kill 110 rats due to building works in Silver Street, Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Mrs Tynan said: “Once the rubbish was cleared, I thought that would be the end of it.

“They’ve been getting into my back garden. I do everything I can to keep them out. The water board people told me the poison is no good anyway, they’re allowed to put it down the sewers but not allowed to put it above ground.

“I personally, bearing in mind that I’m a life-long vegetarian, have caught 106 rats.

“It’s very unpleasant, not very pleasant for a life-long vegetarian.

“I did see a water man come round to put rat poison down the sewers, but he said to me ‘your problem isn’t sewer rats, they don’t come above ground’.

“But he did but a big block of poison down there. He said: ‘you’ve got land rats’.

“Quite often I’ve had three to five in one day.”

She added that she is now on her sixth snap trap.

One of the rat traps Patricia Tynan has had to use at her home in Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Mrs Tynan has explained the sombre task of euthanising the vermin.

She said: “I’ve got it down to fine art. I grab the end of the rat trap, I don’t look, I’ve got the bag open ready, I put them in, I’ve got rubber gloves on, I left the lid up and drop them in, and that’s as far as I can go.”

Adding: “It’s no good catching them and keeping them as pets because they carry so much disease.

“I know they’re pests but for me to have to kill 106 of God’s creatures, as a life-long vegetarian… Am I happy about this? I am not.”

She is particularly concerned about weil’s disease, a dangerous infection spread by rats.

Mrs Tynan has blamed the builders for the rat infestation, and Reading Borough Council for not taking action following her complaints.

She said: “Nothing was meant to be built, no planning application has been submitted for either of them.

“They keep on getting away with all this and the council does nothing.”

The 'unauthorised' works opposite Hawk Cottages in Silver Street, Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Mrs Tynan has sent repeated emails to Stephen Hammond, the council’s senior planning enforcement officer.

An email seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) stated that Mr Hammond has visited the site and warned the builder that any construction would require planning permission.

In frustration, Mrs Tynan said: “Anyone in Reading can build whatever they want, because the council won’t do anything.”

She has also contacted Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East.

What the two alleged unauthorised buildings look like in Silver Street, Reading, shown in a night photo by Patricia Tynan. Credit: Patricia Tynan

The issue was first raised by the LDRS in late July, and has taken the council over a month to respond.

In that time, the ‘verminator’ sign was bought in August by a private exterminator, and Mrs Tynan has disposed of another four rats, bringing the total to 110.

Mrs Tynan added: “It’s ludicrous.  It was 2020 when it started.”

Reading Borough Council is conducting an investigation into the legality of the two structures.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Reading Borough Council takes these matters seriously and there is currently a planning enforcement investigation open concerning 1 Hawk Cottages and the erection of several associated outbuildings, including two recently built forward of the main dwelling.

“A recent site meeting was held with the owner present to inspect the buildings and to discuss the matter.

“Further enquires are being made about the buildings (their size, location and use) to establish if a breach of planning regulations has taken place.

“If breaches have occurred, officers will then consider the appropriate action to take.”