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73
PET ANIMALS ACT. 1951
32 persons were licensed for the purpose of keeping Pet
Shops. During the year 34 inspections were made and there were
no infringements of the conditions, specified in the licences.
DISEASES OP ANIMALS ACTS
Suspected swine fever was notified from four pig keepers'
premises during the year. These and 2 cases notified from the
slaughterhouses were confirmed and appropriate action was taken
in conjunction with the Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Pood to provide against the spread of the disease.
Fowl pest was confirmed at one premises in the Borough during
the year.
PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT, 1949
This Act is mainly concerned with the destruction of rats
and mice and it places a duty on the occupier of any premises to
report to the Local Authority any infestation by such rodents.
2 ratcatchers, officially designated rodent operatives, are employed
to deal with such complaints.
During the year, 1,704 private dwellings were inspected
following complaints and in 1,559 instances infestation was confirmed
and dealt with by the rodent operatives. 118 business
premises were found to be infested with rats or mice and these
were all disinfested during the year. 7 of these were treated
by the occupiers. Regular inspections are made of premises
where food is prepared or sold and particular attention is given
to methods of prevention of rodent infestation. Corporation
owned premises including sewage works, refuse tips, depots,
school kitchens and serveries, etc., are periodically inspected
for the presence of rodents and if infested then action is taken
by the department to eradicate the pests. 12 infestations at
such premises were dealt with during the year.
The baiting of the Corporation's foul water sewers has now
been carried out at regular six monthly intervals since 1947.
Prior to the winter of 1956/7, the methods and poisons used
were only capable of reducing the number of infested manholes
recorded at each treatment to an average of 450. The introduction
of mould inhibitors made it possible to use in the