A frustrated resident plagued by vermin in his garden took drastic action when he dumped a dead rat on the council office front desk. 

Maple Cross resident Terry Jakeman, who is registered as severely disabled and critically vulnerable by the NHS, has complained that he sees rats crossing his garden in Chalfont Road up to nine times a day.

The 79-year-old said he raised the issue with Three Rivers District Council over two years ago, but took matters into his own hands at its Rickmansworth offices last Friday, June 21, after he felt no action was being taken.

Terry Jakeman said he sees rats crossing his garden up to nine times a day from a neighbouring garden.Terry Jakeman said he sees rats crossing his garden up to nine times a day from a neighbouring garden. (Image: Terry Jakeman)

“I had these traps for a week and had seen rats going across the garden but not going near them," he explained. "But when I woke up on Friday morning there was one inside and I thought, ‘I know exactly what I’m going to do’.

“I walked through the main doors to the reception, opened the carrier bag, got my trap out and emptied the dead rat onto the counter in front of them.”

The 79-year-old dumped a dead rat to the Three Rivers District Council office's front desk in his frustration.The 79-year-old dumped a dead rat to the Three Rivers District Council office's front desk in his frustration. (Image: Terry Jakeman)

He told the reception staff: “I'm sorry that I've got to do this, but this is actually the only way I'm going to get some kind of reaction from you.”

While a council spokesperson says they understand Terry's frustration, it has deemed the move "unacceptable".

Terry believes the pests are coming from a neighbouring garden which is “completely overgrown” and said the district council had visited the property around three times in the last two years to no avail.

The Three Rivers District Council offices in Rickmansworth.The Three Rivers District Council offices in Rickmansworth.

The 79-year-old suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and his breathing problems worsened during the recent hot weather as he was forced to close all his windows for fear of the pests entering his home. 

The Maple Cross resident caught the pest in a trap and took it to the district council office when it was dead.The Maple Cross resident caught the pest in a trap and took it to the district council office when it was dead. (Image: Terry Jakeman)

While Three Rivers has now agreed to send an officer to investigate next Monday, the Maple Cross resident warned he will not stop if the issue remains unsolved.

“I've closed the two traps down and I want to see what the council officer will have to say on Monday and if there's a concrete plan going forward, not just a letter,” he said.

Terry warned he will not stop if the pest problem is not resolved.Terry warned he will not stop if the pest problem is not resolved. (Image: Terry Jakeman)

“But I just told the receptionists: ‘If there's nothing done about it, for every rat I catch, I'm going to take it up to your offices and dump it on your desk’.”

A Three Rivers District Council spokesperson said: “We have apologised to Mr Jakeman for not initially investigating his rat problem.

"We have assured Mr Jakeman that an officer will undertake an investigation to identify the extent of the issue and tackle the problem.

“Whilst we understand Mr Jakeman’s frustration, it is unacceptable to leave pests at the visitor centre. We would ask Mr Jakeman not to do this in the future.”