LOCALS living under what’s been dubbed the UK’s worst council have slammed it – sharing disgusting footage of huge rats scurrying along its streets.
But residents in the London borough of Lambeth say they have more concerns than just the rodent-infested trash lining their roads.
Some residents claim the local body fails families struggling to find a home, while others claim money is thrown into all the wrong places – with basic services ignored.
And Londoners who have called Lambeth home their whole lives claim it’s only got worse as the years have gone on.
However, Lambeth Council says these are not claims they recognise and “misrepresent the huge amount of work carried out” in the area.
We visited one of its largest shopping centres – Clapham – and spoke to residents about how they thought their council fared with the rest of the country.
High street business owner Izzy Sasmaz, 45, wasn’t impressed.
The dad told The Sun: “Me and my brother always say they’re the worst council in the UK.”
Izzy started working at Cafe Delight when his dad opened it in 1996 – he was 16.
When his father tragically died two years later he took the reigns and has proudly run it ever since.
He couldn’t name any good dealings he’d had with the council when it came to his firm – nor looking after the area.
Pointing to a pile of sick on the corner of a bus stop outside his cafe, Izzy explained that it’s him and his staff who clean up the streets outside daily.
Yelling for someone to get a bucket to clear the mess, he claimed the council got a lot of money from local businesses, but poured it into Old Town – the “posh” area.
The 45-year-old also lives in Streatham – which is governed by Lambeth council – and has had run-ins with the authority over planning permission.
Izzy claimed the council was slow to do anything, adding: “Their responses are bad.”
His concerns were mirrored by Len Chapman, 66, who has lived in Lambeth his whole life.
The dad, who was born less than two miles away from where he now lives, said he’d watched the area decline year after year.
He claimed litter and bins were a massive issue and that the council tended to fail when it came to the basics.
Len, who has lived in Clapham for 17 years, said: “It’s just got worse and worse.
“They try to do too many good things – they waste money.”
He said there were times the council had “no common sense”, adding: “They’re wasting money on pot plants. They’re not getting the basics right.
“We’re paying a lot and not getting it back.”
The retiree said rubbish and bins lined the streets near his home and blocked the footpaths at times, too.
Len continued: “It’s an eyesore and everyone can see it.”
We have constantly faced an uphill battle and been met by unresponsive individuals that only care about desk pushing this issue.
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“It’s just a mess, the road doesn’t get swept.”
This week an Instagram page that promotes the area blasted the Lambeth Council.
Best of Clapham shared footage of rats the size of cats scurrying around overflowing bins where fly-tippers had dumped trash, too.
It was captioned: “Why does everything in Lambeth take so long?
“It’s a familiar story for many residents and small business owners in Lambeth – the frustration of dealing with an unresponsive council.”
One of the women who sent the video in, who lives above the revolting skip, was said to have first complained to the authority about the rodents almost two years ago.
Lambeth Council statement:
“These are not claims we recognise, and misrepresents the huge amount of work carried out in Lambeth.
“Our planning department is rated as good, processing more applications on time than most councils, our homelessness prevention services are among the best in the country and our recycling rate is above the London average.
“We are delivering good council services and improving the lives of Lambeth residents despite the unprecedented spending restrictions in recent years.
“We are also working hard to tackle the housing crisis.
“Following residents’ concern we have cleared the fly-tipped waste from private land behind Clapham High Street.
“We run anti-flytipping campaigns, and in Clapham are working with residents and businesses so the problem doesn’t return.”
She wrote on the post: “As the resident living at this property I can safely say that this has significantly deteriorated our quality of life in recent months.
“In an attempt to rectify this problem over the last two years. We have constantly faced an uphill battle and been met by unresponsive individuals that only care about desk pushing this issue.”
In recent weeks the Times reported Lambeth Council has had more complaints upheld against it by the Ombudsman than any other authority except Croydon.
It also found the council has more than £25million on climate and “active travel” initiatives since 2019.
And that it was paying more than 40 staff at least £100,000 a year, including a “director of climate and inclusive growth” – who is on £160,000.
But some locals say there are far more important places that money could be going – like into homes for struggling families.
They’ve told me they can’t help us.
Neville Jordan
Neville Jordan, 60, has lived in Lambeth since he was 18.
He says he currently stays above Trends Dry Cleaners for free, but helps in the shop store to pay his way.
The 60-year-old says he’s asked the council for help for housing countless times, and feels “failed” by them.
Neville, who says he has pals in similar situations,said: “They’ve told me they can’t help us.”
He was speaking just weeks after a single mum-of-four opened up about how she was sleeping in the same room as her children after begging the council for a bigger home for six years.
Manuella Akona, 33, lived in Knights Hill, South London and three of her youngsters had gone their whole lives without having a permanent place to call home.
The mum, who is on benefits, said her kids were sleep deprived and their council house was overcrowded with horror mould.
Manuella said this was the result of her and her children aged 15, four, one, and a seven-months-old, being forced to sleep in one tiny room.
But, after she spoke to the press, the council found her somewhere to call home.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson told The Sun: “These are not claims we recognise, and misrepresents the huge amount of work carried out in Lambeth.
“Our planning department is rated as good, processing more applications on time than most councils, our homelessness prevention services are among the best in the country and our recycling rate is above the London average.
“We are delivering good council services and improving the lives of Lambeth residents despite the unprecedented spending restrictions in recent years.
“We are also working hard to tackle the housing crisis.
“Following residents’ concern we have cleared the fly-tipped waste from private land behind Clapham High Street.
“We run anti-flytipping campaigns, and in Clapham are working with residents and businesses so the problem doesn’t return.”
‘Rats are getting bigger, bolder’ – expert
By Jessica Baker
RATS are becoming “bigger, bolder, and more brazen”, according to an experienced rodent-catcher and ex-Lance Bombardier.
Increased food waste and a more relaxed approach to pest control has emboldened the pests and seen them grow to lengths of 22 inches, he claims.
Pest controller Kieran Sampler, 29, a dad from Wakefield, West Yorkshire has caught 50,000 rodents throughout his career.
Most of the rats he catches these days are 18 inches in length, he said, although the largest he ever caught was 22 inches head to tail.
Kieran warned: “Rats are getting bigger, bolder and more brazen.
“They’re less bothered about humans, cats, or anything.”
Having studied the behaviour of rats for seven years, Kieran said he knows rats to be devious and clever creatures.
The rat-catcher believes they have grown emboldened since the pandemic, as pest control eased during lockdowns and there is now more food on the streets for them to feed off.
Kieran said: “Rats are used to detect mines in Cambodia, they’re very smart animals.
“Say you’ve got two Easter eggs, one is Cadbury’s and the other is Lindt. They’ll go for the Lindt.
“Honestly! You’d have to see it to believe it.”
One in particular was so clever that he repeatedly went after the same car, using it to file down his teeth, despite it being moved hundreds of metres in between visits.
One of the biggest infestations the owner of Vermicure Pest Control saw was at a three-bedroom house in Batley.
The home was plagued by 22 of the rodents, many of which ran over his feet when he arrived.
At another property, rats had free rein of a woman’s home after she removed her toilet and didn’t cap the hole off.
The animals scurried back and forth from the sewer into her home as they pleased.
Meanwhile, at a farm in Hull, where corn had been left to rot by the property’s previous owners, Kieran came across “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of rats – maybe thousands”.
After cleaning the area, he returned with his two dogs, terriers Poppy and Penny who are trained to catch the rodents, a couple of weeks later – and caught about 250 rats.
Kieran said: ”When you become a pest controller, it’s completely different to hunting. You’ve got to respect the animals.
“With rats, they’re very intelligent things. There’s a big difference between killing stuff and controlling stuff.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
