Garden rubbish leads to rat infestation

A Bradford woman has been fined nearly £1,000 for waste in her garden which led to rats infesting neighbouring houses.

Hafeeza Munir, of Southmere Road, was prosecuted by Bradford Council for failing to comply with a community protection notice.

She was first asked to remove a "substantial amount of waste" from her property in 2021 but the council said there was a "documented history of her repeated failures to address the issue".

Munir admitted the charge before Bradford magistrates on Thursday and was fined £950.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive member for healthy people and places, said: “The waste at this property has had a significant negative impact on neighbouring residents and the local community, especially given the property's close proximity to a local primary school.

"We hope this prosecution serves as a warning to others.”

The council said her continuous non-compliance led to a "rat infestation that required intervention when this infestation affected neighbouring properties".

There were also reports of the waste being set on fire at the front of the premises, posing a risk to neighbouring properties.

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