Home from hell: Rat-infested squalor left by hoarder that took TEN truckloads to clear
COMPLETE with rotting newspapers and piled knee-deep with rubbish, this was the rat-infested squalor left by an obsessive hoarder that took TEN truckloads to clear.
Council clean-up crews took ten truckloads to clear out this squalid hovel in Bridgend, Somerset
The stomach-churning hovel had become infested with vermin and posed a threat to public health.
A council finally acted after years trying in vain to help the unnamed owner sort out the mess in Bridgwater, Somerset.
They had to get a magistrates' court order on public health grounds to clear the filthy mid-terraced house after the occupant refused to cooperate.
The property was also classed as a "significant fire risk" by fire officials.
The house is believed to belong to a hoarder who used it for storage but rarely visited
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The house is believed to belong to a hoarder who used it for storage but didn't live there and rarely visited.
It is obviously a nuisance for neighbours and a public health concern
Sedgemoor District Council said: "Quite often, you get hoarders who keep all their stuff in one place.
"They don't see it as a problem, but it is obviously a nuisance for neighbours and a public health concern."
The council now hopes to recover the cost from the owner who was not present during the clean-up.
Neighbours said they were repulsed by the hovel and confused by the owner's behaviour
The council hopes to recover the cost of the clean-up from the owner
Neighbours said they were repulsed by the hovel and confused by the owner's behaviour.
Ruth Chilcott, who used to live next door, said: "It's disgusting.
"The owner obviously has mental health problems - no one chooses to live like that."
Wendy Hudson, who has lived on the same street for over 20 years, added: "It doesn't surprise me.
"There are funny things going on around here and the council should look into it - we pay the same rate of tax as anyone else."