'Rat infested' house left empty for 25 years

A rat-infested home which had been left empty and slowly decaying for more than 25 years is finally ready to house new tenants.

The terraced property on Commercial Street in Ferryhill had damp, roof issues and no mains gas or electricity connection.

Pictures of the property before the restoration work showed mud on exposed floorboards, weathered boarding on the windows and piles of leaflets blocking the hall.

Neighbours living on the street said the building had become a "dumping ground" which was crawling with rats.

Resident Stuart Craddock said: "It was just a mystery why it was empty for so long.

"It was infested with rats, you could see them going around the walls."

Reform county councillor for the town Joe Quinn said successive Durham County Council officers had worked to bring the property back on to the market and it was a "great success" now it had finally been achieved.

He said the house had been empty since 2001, adding: "We appreciate it is only one property and there are still many more to get back into use, but this is a step in the right direction."

Durham County Council's private sector housing manager Victoria Hall said the property was last sold in July 2024 and the local authority had worked closely with the new owners.

"We are very pleased that this long-term empty property has now become a home for someone," she said.

The firm restoring the property, Bailey Capital, said buildings which are empty for decades fall into "significant disrepair" and present complex processes to bring back on to the market.

Owner Will Bailey said: "Empty properties can sit unused for years, but when they are brought back into use, they help improve the local area while also providing much-needed accommodation."

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