Rather than follow the lead given by Lib Dem Eastleigh borough council in collecting and recycling food waste separately Test Valley Tories decised to carry out trials on home food digesters. The wisdom of this decison has now been brought into question as a digester  in North Baddesley has become a magnet for rats.

Borough councillor Ann Tupper volunteered to trial one of the new waste digesters in her garden. “I thought it would be advantageous for me and for North Baddesley” she said. The digester cone was installed as instructed and filled with food waste. In January and February she noticed a hole and then more holes appeared. “We’ve got a rat” her husband said.

Attempts to poison the rats failed and eventually Ann asked for the cone to be removed. The waste had not decomposed and rats had burrowed in and feasted on the contents of the digester. “It’s not just one rat, its Aunty Flo and the whole family” she said.

The news comes only weeks after Test Valley Tories announced they would no longer providing a free rat control service.

As a result of pressure from Lib Dem councillors Test Valley are inviting representatives from Eastleigh to come and talk to us about how they have achieved the highest recycling rate in Hampshire.