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A SETTLE resident spread 29 dead mice around a council chamber to shock councillors into action.

The Victoria Street resident piled up the mice around the tables where town councillors were sitting at the start of their annual parish meeting on Monday, to reinforce his message that he had a problem with the creatures.

He had caught the mice over a period of eight days in his house, but was angered after approaches for help were rejected.

The resident, who asked not to be named, said: "I was so angry, I didn't know what to do, although I realise now it is not the town council's fault.

"I spoke to Coun David Heather last week and he said he had got on to Craven District Council about it. But it turns out that Craven does not regard mice as vermin. They could come out and get rid of them for me, but it would cost me £58. If it had been rats it would be free.

"I just thought it was ridiculous. Twenty-nine mice is a heck of a lot and they are a health hazard, so I don't see why the council should have to charge.

"You expect to see an odd one every now and then, but not so many. I had to throw all the food away in my cupboards and disinfect everything. I have been eating at my son's house for the past week," he said.

Councillors in Settle were unaware of the problem until the meeting and did not appreciate the resident's actions.

"We didn't deserve that. The problem hadn't been to council before and it was the first we heard about it. We sympathise, but that wasn't the right thing to do," said Coun Barbara McLernan.

Coun Heather, who was re-elected mayor during the meeting, promised he would again approach Craven District Council because the resident had clearly been inconvenienced and distressed.

"He spoke to me about this a week ago. I took it up with the district council, but they said mice were not classed as vermin in the same way as rats, and not something they dealt with without a charge.

"However, in light of the extent of the problem this gentleman has had, I will get onto them again," said Coun Heather.

The resident said he had no idea where the mice had come from and assumed there must have been a nest somewhere.

However, the infestation appears to have ended.

"Taking the mice to the meeting was something I felt I had to do to get the message across, but I did apologise to them afterwards.

"I was so fed up. I could understand it if I had a dirty home, but I keep my house clean," he said.

Ironically, the resident has a cat, but she couldn't get to the mice at the back of the kitchen cupboards.

Lindsey Quinn, head of environmental health and housing at the district council, explained that the authority did offer free advice on dealing with infestations of mice, but charged a fee for getting rid of the rodents unless the house owner was in receipt of benefits.

"We, as do most people, regard all vermin as a public health hazard, but rats do pose more of a health risk because of their connection with sewers.

"We endeavour to address any rat problem within three days of receiving a complaint and do not charge domestic premises. With mice and other pest problems we do charge a standard rate unless, as stated earlier, the house owner is in receipt of benefits. This rate covers all visits by the pest control officer who will make several visits until the problem is cleared.

"We do, however, provide any information free of charge for people who want to eradicate a problem themselves," added Mrs Quinn.

8:00am Friday 25th May 2007

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