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18
23 notices of complaint were received from the Homo Office.

RAT REPRESSION:
No.of complaints and requests for treatment received - 356.
No.of additional premises found infested - 116. No.of houses treated -
106. No.of other premises treated - 227. No.of visits made by ratcatchers,
to houses - 2,179 and to other premises - 6,553.
ORGANISATION:
A major change in the organisation was made necessary by
the disbanding of the Light Rescue Service at the close of hostilities
in Europe. Instead of the part-time employment of six Light Rescue
men, four of the men were engaged on a full-time basis, one as foreman,
so enabling Mr, Lay to devote more time to his normal duties as a
district Sanitary Inspector, whilst maintaining the direction of the
rodent control campaign. Close contact with the Ministry of Food
technical and research sections was continued throughout the year.
BLOCK CONTROL:
Systematic block control continued and further progress was
made in the campaign to reduce the rat population.
SEWER TREATMENT:
In view of the apparent large rat population that had
developed in the long interval between the "Directed" treatments and
the first maintenance treatment, the Council agreed to an additional
treatment being carried out in March. The routine treatment was
made in June, but the intended December treatment was deferred at
the request of the responsible Ministry of Food Officer, until
January, 1946, when neighbouring boroughs would be operating fit the
same time. It is not now possible to give reliable estimates of
the number of rats killed by these treatments, but the sewermen
state that the rat population in the Councils sewers is now much
reduced.