Rat bite leaves pensioner bloodied as fly-tippers fuel rat plague in Gillingham

A pensioner in Gillingham, Ann Roche, 74, woke up covered in blood after a rat bit her thumb while she slept, requiring a hospital tetanus jab. She blames a severe rat infestation caused by fly-tipped rubbish in an alley behind her home. Ann and her husband Barry, 78, say council contractors clear the alley, but fly-tippers return the next day with food waste, furniture, and bin liners. The couple spent £100 on traps after being told of a six-week council wait, catching three rats last year. The alley has become impassable for parents on the school run, and the couple, who have lived there 50 years, are calling for it to be shut. Medway Council says it takes fly-tipping seriously and will prosecute when evidence is available. A similar rat problem in Maidstone is being addressed after a social landlord agreed to clear a rubbish-laden alley.