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77
In nine of my Annual Reports as Medical Officer of Health, both before
and since the last World War, I have drawn attention to the fact that the
Council's sewers and drains are the source of most of the rat infestation of
dwellings and business premises; and in February, 1953—within a month of
taking over his duties as Senior Sanitary Inspector—Mr. Ashcroft submitted
to the Public Health Committee a special report on Rodent Control, from
which this is an extract:—
"By reason of its age much of the drainage in Leyton does not
conform to accepted standards of design and construction.
"In those areas which contain groups of obsolescent properties
it is found that drainage defects are invariably due to open clay joints
or subsidence, and failure of pipes owing to inadequate concrete support.
Added to this bombed sites and disused drains, perhaps imperfectly
sealed from the sewer, provide ideal harbourage and nesting places for
rats.
"The rat population on the surface bears some relationship to
the rat population below the ground—namely in the sewers.
"Rats travel along working sewers when scavenging for food; but
they need dry, undisturbed places for nesting."
At the last meeting of the Public Health Committee the Borough
Engineer and Surveyor submitted a report on Main Drainage in which he
drew attention to the dilapidated condition of main drains and sewers, and
to the difficulty of estimating the amount of re-drainage work to be undertaken
owing to the lack of records.
Statutory Powers and Duties.
This is another extract from the report on Rodent Control submitted by
the Senior Sanitary Inspector to the Public Health Committee in February,
1953
"The important difference between the 1919 Act and the new
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949 is that Borough and District
Councils are now Local Authorities for the purposes of the Act and not
the County Councils as formerly.
"The duty of the Local Authority is threefold: (1) to inspect the
area in order to ascertain the degree of infestation by rats and mice;
(2) to destroy rats and mice on land of which they are the occupiers;
and (3) to ensure, if necessary by legal proceedings, that owners and
occupiers of land are taking all practicable steps for the destruction of
rats and mice.
"In order to qualify for Exchequer Grant the Local Authority
must:—
(i) maintain an organisation adequate to requirements for effective
rodent control according to the condition of infestation in its
area;
(ii) comply with the Ministry requirements on the methods to be
employed;