Housing chiefs today promised to crack down on anti-social tenants who dump rubbish at flats.

The warning comes after a Bingley tenant claimed rats "were making life hell" for his pregnant wife and their one-year-old son.

Ian Vickers said conditions were so bad at four-storey Emsley House, in York Street, that he wanted to move but had been unable to get a transfer.

Mr Vickers claimed piles of rubbish, including bin bags, furniture and newspapers, dumped in the communal stairway at the two-storey block had attracted the rats.

And he said he feared for the health of his son, Riley, and wife, Clare, who is five months pregnant, after he had seen a rat in his living room.

Harry Whittle, head of operations for Aire-Wharfe Community Housing Trust, which runs the flats, said: "There is a problem of domestic rubbish dumping by anti-social residents in the area.

"This could be attracting vermin. Our neighbourhood warden is working hard to deal with the rubbish, and we plan to take action against those doing the dumping."

Inland Revenue employee Mr Vickers, 38, said his family had been forced to stay with relatives on several occasions because of the problems, which also included excessive noise by residents.

He said a letter had also been written by their family doctor stating that the flat was not safe because of the rats.

Mr Vickers said he had written frequently to the trust since moving in 18 months ago and although some cleaning work had been carried out and a pest control team had visited, he was still worried.

"We fear for our unborn baby and our one-year-old because the diseases that rats can carry can be really serious," said Mr Vickers.

He said he had been forced to take three months off work to look after his wife, who was distressed by the situation.

He said although he understood that the housing trust had waiting lists he could not accept the situation and had not ruled out legal action.

He said: "It's not just fair really as we've done work on the flat and we're gutted about it all really."