A father is worried for the health of his young daughter after he discovered rats eating food from his kitchen cupboards.

Luke Sansom, who lives in Siskin Close in Borehamwood with his nine-year-old daugther, found the vermin in his flat early last week.

Despite repeated attempts to kill them with poison and rat traps, the animals have kept coming back, leaving droppings in his cupboards and eating potatoes and onions.

Mr Samson first noticed the rats in his house shortly after Hertsmere Borough Council's Environmental Health team eradicated a rats nest from a service road behind Shenley Road, which is very close to his house.

He believes the two infestations are linked and thinks the rodents may have migrated from their original nest to areas where there is no poison, including his house.

He started hearing squeaking, and last week saw a potato flying out his kitchen cupboard, thrown by the rat which had been gnawing it.

He said: “I opened the cupboard to find a rat sitting there.

“You would think rats would be scared of humans but they seem to have no fear. They have now chewed their way through four large bags of industrial rat poison with no effect.

“I have now resorted to using a spring trap in my cupboard as part of my anti-rat arsenal, which has left blood splatter on my cupboard doors.

“The rats carry horrible diseases such as Weil’s disease, and I’m worried about the health of my young daughter if they are eating her food.

“I try my best to keep my house clean and tidy and it’s disgusting to find them inside my house.”

He urged people to be careful about where they leave their rubbish, and report any sightings to the council, so the extent of the rat problem could be determined.

He said: “The rats aren't stupid. They know where there is poison being laid down and move to other places to avoid it.

"Can we please tell Borehamwood the problem is not sorted and we all need to be extra careful what we do with our waste as I am sure nobody appreciates these creatures in their homes.”

A spokeswoman for Hertsmere Borough Council said:“Whilst the council offers a pest control service to residents and will investigate reports of rats in and around food premises, infestations in private premises are the responsibility of the owner or occupier.

“Rats reported in Siskin Close are not necessarily linked to previous issues in Shenley Road but if the resident wants to contact us we can look into it."

Further information can be found at www.hertsmere.gov.uk/pestcontrol or residents can get free advice over the phone by calling the council on 020 8207 7435.