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Pests Act on owners when known, requiring them to clear and fence the site within a
specified time, and where there is failure to comply with the notice, take legal action.
Where owners have not been traced notices are served on the site, and after expiration
of the time specified in the notice the necessary work is carried out by the Council and
the cost entered as a charge against the property.
Rodent control in the many business premises in the borough has been continued with
emphasis of effort concentrated on trades likely to create the greatest attraction to
rodents such as wharfingers and food storing and producing undertakings.
All the Council's sewers have been treated by poisoning with sodium fluoracetamide
five times during the course of the year; approximately sixteen thousand baits being
laid. Readings of a test baiting indicate a substantial improvement in the degree of
infestation of sewers compared with last year, particularly in the western half of the
borough where an additional treatment was carried out to the older and more severely
infested sewers.
The result of the year's efforts appears to be rewarding for the number of complaints
regarding rodents received, always a significant indicator, has fallen from 2,700 in
1966 to 1,800 in 1967. It would not be wise to become too elated over the apparent result
of one year's work, but an improvement of over thirty per cent is extremely encouraging
and will undoubtedly stimulate further effort in the future.
The Council is faced with a serious problem which will undoubtedly act as a barrier
for some time to the ideal objective namely the complete eradication of rat infestation,
and that is the defective condition of the many older sewers in the borough, mostly brick
barrel sewers constructed over 100 years ago.
A general survey is being carried out by the borough engineer to ascertain the
condition of the Council's 180 miles of main sewers. Television cameras are extensively
used in the investigation and many supporting photographs have been taken.
The borough engineer has reported to the Council on about 13 miles of sewers
included in the survey, which has been concentrated on brick type sewers so far as it has
progressed. In his report he lays emphasis on the poor condition of drain connections to
these sewers and comments that little regard appears to have been paid in the past to
making connections at the correct gradient and at the correct point of entry, holes
being punched in the sewer at any convenient point and pipes pushed through without
proper jointing - cavities and earth being visible in many cases. Collapsed inverts,
collapsed, badly cracked and distorted crowns and unsealed redundant drain connections
leaving ideal breeding places for rats, are also a feature of the report. The comment is
also made that rat infestation was prevalent and had obviously been a contributory cause
to some undermining.
It is estimated that in only about one fifth of the sewers surveyed is little or no
work necessary.
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