Families living in a rat-infested block of flats have told how the creatures are running riot through their homes and chewing holes in the walls.

One mum has been forced to move out of her council property in Folkestone because she is terrified her baby could eat the poison left out for the rodents.

All six ground-floor apartments in the block of 12 at Neame Court in Hollands Avenue have been invaded by the vermin.

Tenants say they are being “forced to live in squalor” as their homes have become littered with droppings and the bodies of dead rats.

Hayley Atherton has had to move in with her sister in nearby Hill Road along with her children Millie, 12, Steven, seven, and 11-month-old baby Lily while the poison is in her home.

She told KentOnline: “We have a serious rat infestation. I saw five running in my home once.

“There are rat faeces and wee and dead rats in this block and they have chewed through water pipes.

“I have put poison down but [it means] we are homeless. I have an 11-month-old so we can’t stay here. It’s horrific.”

Ms Atherton said she and other tenants are “forced to live in squalor”.

Bosses at Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) say action has been taken to tackle the rat problem and residents have been advised on how to avoid future infestations.

But those living at Neame Court told KentOnline the rodents have been wreaking havoc in their homes for almost two years.

One of the first families affected was Lily-Anne Heywood and her fiance Paul Wilson, who have three children – Percy, Violet and Poppy, aged one, two and three.

Miss Heywood said: “Every morning I hoover my kitchen because there are droppings everywhere.

“The rats have also chewed through the skirting board in my kitchen and there are two massive holes there.

“We had to board up the bit next to our kitchen sink so they couldn't get through it – but they just chewed through the wood we boarded it up with.

“I have had a hole in my skirting board in my main hallway and we had to repair that ourselves. It’s just getting ridiculous now.”

A total of 38 people live in this block, which residents say was built in 1962.

Eleven of the properties are owned by FHDC and the tenants – including Ms Atherton and Miss Heywood – are demanding the authority take action to sweep away rodents.

The 12th flat is privately owned.

Residents in non-infested homes say they have other problems such as subsidence.

Council tenant Anna Cleeton says she is dealing with damp, mould and sewer issues in her flat.

She told KentOnline she has kept out the vermin by plugging in electronic pest control devices.

“We have black mould and so much of it,” Ms Cleeton said.

“It’s just becoming a nightmare living here. My mental health is absolutely wrecked because of it. We have problems with the drains and I’ve been reporting them for a year.

“We get a constant smell of sewage and drains in our flat if the person downstairs is using their washing machine and we are using ours.

“I’d like to move out, personally.”

The council has sent specialists to deal with Ms Cleeton’s drainage problems and investigations are continuing, including with a camera survey.

Ms Cleeton and her daughter Sarita Dhue both have disabilities, while her grandchildren Mackenzie and River-Rae Dhue, aged 16 and seven, are autistic.

She explains they are overcrowded in their small flat and are on a waiting list to move out.

An FHDC spokesman said: “We have taken a number of actions since receiving reports from residents and work is ongoing.

“A survey has been carried out and our contracted pest control company is regularly monitoring any activity at the property in question. Work on the drains and covers will also be completed in due course.

“The situation has appeared to improve as a result. We are also issuing advice to residents on steps they can take to minimise the risk of future infestation in their homes.”