London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ilford 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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36
A veterinary inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
examined the animal and certified it had not died of Anthrax.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949.—This Act, which
repealed the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919, came into operation on
31st March, 1950. All Local Authorities are required to take all necessary
steps to keep their districts free from rats and mice. To this end inspections
must be made and, where rats or mice are found on premises to serve
notice on the occupier to carry out specified treatment and works to exterminate
them and to enforce the duties imposed by the Act on owners
and occupiers of land. Where an owner or occupier fails to comply with
a notice served by the Local Authority under the Act, the Local Authority
may carry out the work and recover the costs incurred. Failure to comply
with the notice renders the owner or occupier liable to a penalty. It is the
duty of all occupiers of land to notify infestations of rats and mice in
order that the Local Authority may carry out their duties under the Act.
The following is a statement of the work carried out during 1952:—
| Local Authority | Type of Property | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwelling Houses | Agricultural | All other (including Business and Industrial) | |||
| I. Total No. of properties in District | 151 | 50,930 | 40 | 5,122 | 56,249 |
| II. No. of properties inspected as result:— | |||||
| (a) of notification | 62 | 371 | — | 77 | 510 |
| (b) otherwise | 17 | 40 | 2 | 8 | 67 |
| III. No. of properties found to be infested by rats:— | |||||
| Major | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 5 |
| Minor | 39 | 223 | — | 29 | 291 |
| IV. No. of properties found to be seriously infested by mice | 18 | 82 | 36 | 136 | |
| V. No. of infested properties (under III and IV) treated by the Local Authority | 67 | 332 | 1 | 85 | 485 |
| VI. No. of notices served under Section 4:— | |||||
| (1) Treatment | - | - | - | - | - |
| (2) Structural works (i.e., Proofing) | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| VII. No. of cases in which default action was taken by Local Authority following issue of notice under Section 4 | |||||
| VIII. Legal proceedings | — | — | — | — | - |
| IX. No. of "block" control schemes carried out | Nil | ||||