AN 86-YEAR-OLD great-grandmother says she is "too terrified" to go out into her garden because it is overrun with rats.

Winifred Williams even calls her daughter-in-law when her household bins need emptying, fearful of any encounters with her prolific vermin visitors.

From her council house in Gainsborough Road, Upton, Mrs Williams said she feels "imprisoned" by the rodents who scratch on her back door in the evenings.

Her fed-up family are constantly having to dispose of the dead rats that come into the garden from their breeding ground - a derelict waste land at the back of the estate.

"I am sick to death of calling pest control," said Mrs Williams who has lived at the address for 51 years.

"There used to be flats at the back of these houses but since they have been knocked down, the patch of land has been left to rot and is now overgrown and riddled with rats.

"The council needs to do something with the land, I can't go on having to call my daughter-in-law to put my washing out and empty my bins."

Mrs Williams said that she saw a rat sitting on her neighbours doorstep and had to ring to warn her.

She said: "I can't even sit out in my garden because the last time I did a rat ran past my feet and scared the living daylights out of me.

"I make sure I keep the doors locked at all times to try and stop them getting into the house - I really couldn't cope if that ever happened."

The council's pest control have put toxic poison blocks down on the field and in Mrs Williams garden on several occasions.

And ward councillor Sue Brown said she has stepped up measures to combat the infestation by introducing a week-long test to see how many rats are caught in special traps.

She said: "I have spoken to Environmental Health in relation to this matter and would like to reassure residents that something is being done.

"I am also hoping to get funding for the area so we can look at regenerating the land into something that can be used by the community.

"In the meantime, I would encourage residents not to throw any waste onto the field so not to aggravate the pest problem."

A council spokesman said: "We are aware of the issue and pest control officers have been out on a number of occasions to try to find a long-term solution.

"This is ongoing, and today we have begun some test baiting on the field to try to determine if the problem is coming from there and, if so, the extent of it.

"If necessary, we will then find the landowner and take appropriate action."