Gran, 54, forced to become a Pied Piper and sleep in her car after rodents invaded her ‘dream bungalow’

A GRAN was forced to sleep in her car after a plague of “sewer rats” invaded her dream home.

Desperate Paula Cooper says she spends cold nights snuggled under blankets in her Nissan Juke behind her Council bungalow in Leicestershire was overrun by rodents.

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And to keep the pests off her property, she’s outfitted every room with traps, poison, and detectors while becoming a reluctant Pied Piper.

She told Sun Online the nightmare began shortly after she moved into the property.

The 54-year-old, a former caregiver, spotted a giant dark gray rat in her kitchen as she moved the stove behind it to clean.

“It was terrible. I screamed. Two days later, a rat came out of nowhere and ran over my hand,” she said.

“I felt physically ill.”

Paula already suffers from asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety – and said her spooky visitors left her “struggling with the battle”.

As the problem worsened, instead of returning to the Braunstone home, she stuffed her car with blankets so she could sleep outside.

“At least I felt safe and out of danger there, but I still couldn’t sleep well,” she said.

Paula has blasted Leicester City Council for not helping – and says she believes the rats crawled up the sewer pipes that feed three municipal drains.

She has seen seven indoors and in her garden in recent months.

“They still seem to be everywhere. They scratch, they squeak, they squeak and even if you can’t see them you can feel their presence,” she said.

“They’ve bitten through TV cables, they’re peeing all over the place and the smell is awful, they’ve been chewing my carpet behind the sofa and they’ve nested under the TV cabinet.

“They chewed through my TV’s power cord and antenna cable.

“They are such vermin and the Council is doing very little to get rid of them. I’m done.”

Paula has refused to visit her family because she is concerned for the safety of her two-year-old granddaughter.

The stench is terrible…they pee everywhere and have lodged themselves under the TV cabinet

“I feel dirty because they are in my house and they stink,” she said.

“Despite my poor health, I keep the place clean, tidy and tidy.

“I set up traps, poison and detectors at my own expense, but the rats are still there.”

A Leicester City Council spokesman said: “We understand Ms Cooper’s situation and are working to resolve it, including visiting her home to discuss the options available to her.

“She declined an offer of temporary housing while we deal with the infestation and we are supporting her in making an insurance claim to replace the damaged furnishings.

“Last week repairs were made to a drain believed to be the source of the rat problem and our pest control team will make a follow-up visit to see if further work is needed.”

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