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timber beetle, furniture beetles, carpet moths, store beetles, gooseberry
mite and most frequently wasps and ants.
One of the outstanding effects of the better standard of housing
and hygiene enjoyed by most people today is the notable decrease
in the infestations of bed-bugs and house fleas. Prior to the war
these were common to the majority of working class houses, and
created full-time work for disinfestation teams, but today they are
relatively rare.
Assistance and advice is given in all cases of infestation, some
treatments are carried out by the Rodent Operative, but in severe
cases the persons concerned are advised to obtain the services of
specialist firms.
Where necessary the destruction of clothing and bedding is
undertaken by the Council upon the receipt of a written request from
the owner.
(ix) Pet Animals Act, 1951
Under this Act, a person who desires to sell pets, of any description,
by retail, must be licensed by the local authority. These
licences are renewable annually and conditions are attached to the
licence, in order to regulate the manner in which the animals are
kept and exposed for sale.
At present there are 16 persons licenced in the borough to keep
Pet Shops, 3 of these are in respect of stalls in the Market Place.
Pets on these stalls are restricted to puppies, goldfish and tortoises.
Frequent inspections of all Pet Shops are made to ensure that
the conditions of the licences are complied with.
3. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF :FOOD
The inspection, sampling and supervision of foods in all its
phases, from the producer to the consumer, forms a very important
part of the duties of the health inspectorate in the protection of the
health of the public.
Various infectious diseases can be transmitted by foodstuffs
Food poisoning and other intestinal illnesses can be caused by the
ingestion of foods that are either contaminated, are out of condition
or badly processed.
It is therefore essential that all premises where foods are
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