Fiver charge for rat catcher chewed up by new councillor

Conservative councillor Brian Walmsley claims the £5 fee will deter residents from calling in Hyndburn Council and has attacked the ruling Labour Group for its introduction.

The £5 per treatment charge, approved as part of the budget, applies to domestic pests such as rats, mice, cockroaches, ants and bed bugs.

Coun Walmsley, from Oswaldtwistle, said: "If people know it is going to cost them if they report rats and other vermin to the council, they will simply not report them, which will cause a serious health hazard."

And he accused the Labour Group of "double-standards" after their outcry over the public health risks associated with the introduction of pre-payment water meters.

The newly-elected councillor learned about the new charge when he was called to look at a problem with ants in pensioners' sheltered bungalows in Byron Close, Oswaldtwistle. Coun Walmsley said: "The residents have a problem with ants every year and the council come along and spray them.

"When they rang up this time they were told there would be a £5 charge to do it.

"There should not be any charge at all, and £5 is just crazy.

"Maybe £20 I could have understood, even though I still feel it's wrong, but it's going to cost them money to get the £5 back in."

Head of environmental health, Steve Todd, said: "Instead of providing a free service, we now provide a service at minimum cost to residents in the borough to deal with often fairly minor incidents.

"We feel we provide a very very good pest control service and a token fee helps us continue to provide that service."

He said the council does not have to offer the service and, in its absence, residents would have to seek help from the private sector.

Mr Todd added that the £5 was paid up front involving little administration costs and most people recognised it as very good value.

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