A mum and her two young sons have to sleep in their living room because rats have infested the upstairs bedrooms and loft.

Ebonie Evans has told how the vermin have “destroyed everything” at the house in Hawkinge, near Folkestone, including her £200 trainers.

The 29-year-old has even caught Weil’s disease, an illness commonly linked to the urine of infected rats.

She told KentOnline: “They’ve destroyed everything.

“They’ve peed, there are faeces everywhere, they’ve chewed through our belongings.”

Her landlord, property management company Places for People, has apologised for how long it is taking to solve the rats issue.

The family moved into the house in St Luke’s Walk three years ago and Miss Evans says the problem began in 2022. She believes the rats came from an empty property next door.

They were moved to temporary accommodation in Cheriton from March to July while pest controllers were brought in.

But now Miss Evans and sons George, 10, and Arthur, four, have returned home, the rats are still at large.

Even the family dog Venus, a bulky French mastiff, has not deterred them.

Miss Evans said: “The loft is full of faeces. Before we were moved we could literally hear them at night scratching and fighting in the loft.

“I put traps there. One must have got caught. It chewed its own leg off to get away.

“I’ve nearly lost my fingers so many times setting rat traps.”

The rats have knawed on electricity cables, causing a need for rewiring, as well as chewing carpets and sofas.

They have also left mites, plus disgusting masses of urine and faeces.

“I’ve had to replace carpets and sofas,” said Miss Evans.

“It’s disgusting but I don’t know where else to turn.”

She says her bedroom is so badly contaminated and infested with mites that it has been sealed off.

She told KentOnline she has been sleeping on a sofa for 40 days while she recovers from Weil’s disease. Her sons are sleeping on beds set up in the living room too.

Miss Evans added: “I hoover and mop every day - sometimes twice for my own sanity

“But yet still I come home to faeces on the floor.”

Rats are nocturnal and not usually seen in a house, especially in broad daylight. But Miss Evans has spotted them outside and has blocked what she believes was their burrow in the garden.

The vermin’s presence means her children can’t play there and are only allowed in the front yard.

The loft insulation has also been tunnelled through and her house has had power surges, which she believes is caused by chewed wiring.

A spokesperson for Places for People said: “We are sorry for the length of time that it has taken to resolve the vermin issue at Miss Evans’ home. We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“Due to the extensive initial works required to the property, we had to move Miss Evans and her family to a temporary home whilst this work was carried out.

“We have been and are continuing to work closely with Miss Evans to arrange the remaining repair works as well as suitable temporary accommodation for her and her family whilst the work is underway.”

A Folkestone & Hythe District Council spokesperson said its officers have visited the nearby property reported as derelict but found no waste likely to attract rats.

They added: “Our environmental protection officers will take further action if an accumulation of waste is attracting vermin and causing a nuisance for the local community.

“If Ms Evans’ landlord has been unable to solve the problem of where the rats are coming from then she should contact our private sector housing team through the council website or by telephoning 01303 853660 and we will try to help her.”

According to the Citizens Advice Bureau, landlords are responsible for dealing with rat infestations if:

*your tenancy agreement says they are responsible

*the infestation was caused by the landlord not making certain repairs to the home

*the infestation is making tenants or their family ill.

Tenants may be responsible for dealing with infestations if they have done something to cause it, such as not disposing of rubbish which has attracted rats.

If residents have an issue with rats coming from a different property, they can ask their local authority for help. Councils have specific legal powers, including serving a notice on an owner or an occupier ordering work to get rid of the problem.