Mum left carless after rats 'chew through engine' as population explodes in UK

08 April 2023 , 16:20

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Rats 'chewed through the engine of a car' (Image: Karen Burkert)

A mother was unable to drive to work because rats chewed through wires in the engine of her Ford Fiesta.

Karen Burkert, 59, came to start her car outside her home only to find rats had built a nest on the engine - the second time that has happened in two months.

As her car wouldn't start due to the damage done by the rodents, Karen was unable to get to work at a doctors' surgery.

Speaking to Liverpool Echo, Karen said: "I tried to drive to work but the car wouldn't start and it turned out that rats had nested in the engine and chewed through wires.

Karen Burkert couldn't drive herself to work due to the problem (Karen Burkert)

"It's the second time this has happened in two months, and it's happened before that as well. I had to walk halfway to work and then disturb my daughter to get her to take me. She has a family of her own."

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Karen, who is from Huyton, Merseyside, had to get her daughter to drive her to work. She remains frustrated with her recent experiences with the pests.

The UK's rat population has reportedly grown massively since the coronavirus pandemic, with numbers estimated to have surged by a quarter to an estimated 150 million - while some estimate the number to be even higher, at around a quarter of a billion.

"It's just frustrating, you look after your house and keep it clean, just for stuff like this to go on outside," the mother continued.

"There's no waste around my home or my garden, the garden is all clean and pebbled so there's nothing here to attract rats."

If drivers find rats in their vehicles, advice from forum Pest Detective advises that use strong odours, such as peppermint oil to drive the pests away.

A grandfather, who also lives in Merseyside, recently told how he feels "trapped" in his rat-infested home which stinks so much he won't let people visit.

Tom Goulding is in a constant cycle, having spent thousands over the years repairing the damage done by the rodents.

Aaron Curran