Lulworth couple 'horrified' after home 'infested' by rats

The family are calling for action to clear up the site which they say is making their lives a misery.

Graham Hemsley, 77, who has Parkinson's disease, and wife Carol, 73, live at East Lulworth and the disused builder's yard on neighbouring land is used as a waste storage facility by the Lulworth Estate.

Dorset Council said its Environmental Health team are investigating. The Estate said it planned to meet with the family to discuss concerns.

(Left to right) Alex Hemsley with his parents Carol and Graham (Image: Alex Hemsley)

The couple's son Alex, 44, said the land was turned into a "dump" during lockdown.

He said that although they have been told the waste is recycling, he has seen a mountain of food waste, causing foxes, rats and other vermin to feed on it.

He said: "It started after the horrible messes on the beaches at Durdle Door and Lulworth during lockdown.

“The Weld family and the Lulworth Estate own some of the pretty parts of Dorset - Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and the Durdle Door campsite.

“They have created a rubbish tip on their land which is right next to my parents' home.

“It has now been rat-infested for three years."

He said the Estate began bringing rubbish from Durdle Door, the campsite and Lulworth Cove and depositing them in bins at the site.

The bins at the site are shared by Lulworth Estate and Dorset Council.

Mattresses, microwaves and electrical appliances are on the site (Image: Supplied)

Tables, pipes and more appliances on the site (Image: Supplied)

Alex added: "In the summer they bring tractor loads of it every day. They say it is recycling but I have seen food in the bins.

“The bins all have holes in the bottom so that they don’t collect water.

Some of the waste has not been left in bins and has been placed in bushes (Image: Supplied)

“But that has made it perfect for the rat population because they now have a continuous food supply.

“When they stop delivering bins and it gets quiet, these many rats have lost their food source and they then go towards my parents' home.

Alex has seen hundreds of rats in his parents' home (Image: Alex Hemsley)

“It is now infested. They have eaten through the door of the house - they're in the walls - the insulation is two inches thick of rat droppings.

“I reckon if pest control came they could catch 300. We caught 20 the other day."

Alex runs a YouTube channel called 6d Diesels, in which he revives old diesel cars.

He posted a video on Youtube where he pleaded for help about the rubbish problem. The video has already been viewed more than 10,000 times.

He said: "I have tried everything.

“The rats are everywhere and it is horrific, it’s destroying the mental health of my parents, who are a vulnerable elderly couple.

"If I tried doing this in my yard, I would have the Environment Agency at my door within two days.

“I made the YouTube video because it is my last straw, I have spoken to the council, the fire brigade, the Environment Agency, the Estate, everyone."

A spokesperson for Lulworth Estate said: "The Estate has been in discussions with our neighbours at this site for a number of years.

"The rural site in question is a legally operated temporary waste storage facility, holding waste from our visitor sites and operations, with regular collections conducted by licensed waste carriers.

"It is operated in full consultation with statutory bodies and there is an ongoing pest control contract in place with regular pest control visits conducted by a local licensed contractor.

"Prior to the video being released, the Estate had suggested a meeting with our neighbour and our pest control contractor and we hope this will take place shortly.

"As a business, we are committed to responsible management and the reduction of waste across our operations, with the aim to continually reduce environmental impact and educate our teams and visitors.  

"This is an ongoing challenge and we are always open to relevant feedback on how to improve this."

A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: "Dorset Council’s Environmental Health team has an ongoing investigation into concerns at this location, which has an S2 waste exemption from the Environment Agency (EA).

"This means the Lulworth Estate, which owns and is responsible for this location, is allowed to store specific waste at a secure intermediate site, separate to where the waste was produced, before transportation to somewhere else for recovery.

"We have been previously informed by the EA that the site and current practices regarding waste are legal.

“’Dorset Council is in contact with the EA to ensure that the waste storage is appropriate, and is looking into the complaint of rodent activity.

"We are liaising with the Lulworth Estate to arrange a meeting in the coming days to review the working practices there, and see what measures might need to be put in place to resolve the reported problems being experienced by local residents.”