Woman sets up 'Ratwatch'

12:58pm Sunday 14th October 2007

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A WOMAN who withheld her council tax after she found rats in her home is setting up 'Ratwatch' - to calculate the extent of the rodent problem in Oxford.

Dr Frances Kennett, 62, of Great Clarendon Street, Jericho, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court last month after she refused to pay a month's council tax.

She withheld the payment, claiming the switch to fortnightly waste collection last November attracted rats to her home.

During the hearing, Judge Brian Loosley said there appeared to be a connection between the infestation and the fortnightly collection.

Dr Kennett then made a formal complaint against city councillor Jean Fooks, who is in charge of waste collection, and called for her to resign but Ms Fooks refused.

Now, Dr Kennett has set up a special email account, oxfordratwatch@gmail.com so that members of the public can report rat sightings.

The council claims the number of call-outs to rodent infestations has fallen since the switch to fortnightly collections, but Dr Kennett remains unconvinced and believes the number of actual sightings has increased.

She said: "I'm launching a new email address for Oxford residents to register rat sightings near household waste bags, or to report other related vermin increase near their homes.

"I'd like to get a clearer picture of what's going on in Oxford about vermin infestation. I'm not convinced by the council's claim that they've had no increases in rat reporting over the past year.

"I hope that residents will support me in this scheme to show the council the strength of feeling about the filth in this city, caused by fortnightly household waste collections.

"I know that the Jericho Residents' Association has expressed support, but it would be good to know about the level of frustration in more detail. I will be very grateful for all data."

Dr Kennett promised to pass on information to the city council, once accurate data had been collated.

"It will be a friendly place for citizens to leave information and I will keep the email account going until my campaign is completed," she added.

Dr Kennett claimed that rat sightings were not officially recorded by the council unless residents were given a serial number for the call.

She added: "Many residents don't get to the stage where they are given a number and therefore the sighting isn't officially recorded.

"I believe the council is playing down the extent of the rat problem in this city."

Jean Fooks, the portfolio holder for a cleaner city, said Dr Kennett's claim regarding the cataloguing of rat calls "sounded like nonsense".

She added: "Dr Kennett is quite entitled to set up this email account, and if she shares the information with us then we will be grateful.

"But we'd also like the public to contact us if they have a problem with rats because then we'll know where there might be a problem."