A single mum today spoke of her horror after she was told she would have to wait a week for pest control officers to deal with a suspected rats infestation.

Emma Fairclough, 22, who has a two-year-old son, rang Bradford Council on Sunday after finding droppings under her sink.

But she was told she would have to wait at least until next Monday until anyone could come out.

The Council said Miss Fairclough, of Coronation Mount, Keighley, should put poison down herself in the meantime.

Today a Council spokesman said the department dealt with 180 calls a week and had been left with a backlog because three out of five workers were off sick.

A worker had now returned, however, and the backlog was being cleared.

She said new calls were expected to be dealt with in five to six days, although under normal circumstances they liked to answer in two.

Miss Fairclough said she had found rat droppings and chewed cardboard under the sink and was terrified of the vermin.

She said: "We had mice last year and they came and put in a new air vent which the mice couldn't use to get in.

"They didn't do anything to the houses on either side, though, so obviously they are managing to get in some other way.

"There is nowhere else for us to stay and I'm particularly worried because everyone knows they are dangerous.

"We are at our wits end and don't know which way to turn.

"I think it is really bad that I am left in this situation with a very young child and nowhere to take him.

"I think we should be treated as an emergency in the circumstances as everyone knows they are filthy and carry many diseases.

"I can recognise the signs because of the mice we had last year.

"The Council are to blame if anything happens."