Petrified pensioner calls for action after small army of mice invade her home

Jacqueline Doyle says hundreds of the rodents are roaming the streets near her home in Prince Edward Road, in South Shields, after taking up residence in overgrown bushes which residents say has become a breeding ground.

The 69-year-old says she is unable to even step into the kitchen of her South Tyneside Homes property without her pet dog Ruby or husband Jackie, 70, as back up.

Pest control experts have been drafted in to tackle the unwanted guests - but Mrs Doyle says the overgrown hedges outside her home need to be cut back to deter them.

She said: “It has been a nightmare. This has been going on for two months now.

“The big problem is the overgrown bushes which go down to St Margaret’s Church. It is a breeding ground for mice.

“I can’t go into my own kitchen without an escort.”

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “Unfortunately it is not possible to identify the source of the problem. However we are aware of this issue and our Pest Control Service has carried out treatments at the property whenever mice have been reported. We are currently carrying out further treatments to resolve the issue.”