View report page

24
(b) where a drain or any channel work or apparatus provided for use as a
drain becomes a disused drain at any time after the commencement of this Part of
this Act forthwith after it becomes to the knowledge of such person a disused drain.
(3) Any person who fails to comply with the foregoing provisions of this section
shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Five pounds. Provided that the occupier of
any premises (not being also the owner thereof) shall not be liable to a penalty under
this section for failing to give any such notice as aforesaid if he satisfies the court
that he had reasonable cause to believe that the notice had been given by the owner
of the premises.
(4) Proceedings for any offence under this section may be taken by the council of
the metropolitan borough in which the disused drain in respect of which the offence is
committed is situate.
Since the passing of this Act, opportunities have been taken to inspect vacant
sites in the Borough to see whether the new powers should be used to enforce the
sealing off of any disused drains that might have been left unsealed. In all, nine
sites, equal to three acres, were inspected.
In the latter part of the year, there was evidence of the presence of rats on
and in the vicinity of a site which had long been vacant and which was covered
with an accumulation of builders' refuse. As a result of our action, the owners
cleared the accumulation from the site, exposed the drains and completed their
efficient sealing off.
On three of the nine sites inspected where it was found that the drains had
already been properly sealed off, no nuisance from rats was reported.
On four sites, evidence of the sealing off of the disused drains was not
obtained, but in three of these, there was no indication of any nuisance from rats.
In connection with the fourth, it was reported that a few rats had been seen there
at various times, but as a result of the use of dogs and ferrets, the nuisance had
been abated.
On the remaining site, the demolition of the buildings is still in progress at
the time of the preparation of this report; all the disused drains are being exposed
and properly sealed off.
Careful watch is being maintained as to the presence of rats in dwellings
surrounding all these sites.
Experience has shown us in Holborn that not only should disused drains be
sealed off, but builders' refuse cleared; builders' refuse at times serves excellently
as nesting places for colonies of rats.
Inspection of Workshops, etc.
The routine inspection of factories, workshops and workplaces has been carried
out during the year. 385 factories were inspected, 515 workshops and 2,762
workplaces.
It is found that changes frequently occur in the occupation of workshops. To
obtain information of such changes and further details of industrial conditions in the
Borough a large number of visits and inspections were made in addition to the routine
inspections mentioned above. As the result of these visits 31 premises no longer used
for the purpose for which they had been registered were removed from the register of
workshops. In some cases, owing to the introduction of machinery, former "workshops"