RESIDENTS today called on their council to clean up back streets and rid the area of a rat infestation for good.

Householders in the Intack area of Blackburn said the situation was now so out of control that rats had invaded their homes and caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

But residents were today urged to help improve the situation by not leaving rubbish bags out.

And Sayyed Osman, Blackburn with Darwen Council's deputy director for neighbourhood services, insisted the problem was getting better, not worse. He added that new council policies to get rid of "side waste" would tackle the issue. Last week the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that one resident in Peronne Crescent, off Accrington Road, caught ten rats in recent weeks.

And other residents have reported seeing up to 20 rats at a time in the back streets that run along the terraced housing on Accrington Road.

Lesley Bibby, from Bank Lane off Accrington Road, said: "We have had to get the council rat catcher out to our house as rats had moved in.

"They had done significant damage to our hallway carpet and floorboards and they had also eaten various items in our under sink cupboard. And then we found out that household insurance does not cover damage done by vermin.

"Although the house is now free of them they are still in the area and our cat has caught two rats in the last four days alone one. If you look at the state of the back streets around the Intack area then it is hardly surprising we are riddled with vermin. They are littered with rubbish more so since we only have fortnightly bin collections.

But Mr Osman said: "The number of rat complaints in the Intack area has decreased over the past two years. The introduction of the council's no side waste' policy will ensure figures continue to fall and reduce public health problems associated with side waste. Placing all waste in wheelie bins or recycling boxes, rather than just in black bags, will help reduce complaints further."