AN INFESTATION of maggots is making life a misery for a fed-up
Moreton resident and her family.

Jackie Smith, who has lived in the new Moreton Park development for the last year, said she is at the end of her tether after being plagued with scores of the slimy creatures in her patio.

Despite attempts by housing association Sovereign Housing and developer Cala Homes to tackle the problem – which they say may stem from wheelie bins – the issue has been ongoing since last year.

Mrs Smith feels her cries for help are being ignored.

The 43-year-old, who lives in a part-owned, part-rented property in Whitley Court with her husband David, said every time it rains maggots crawl out from the edge of the grass and infest the patio.

Despite the patio slabs being relaid by Cala Homes and Sovereign last October and exterminators coming out to steam-clean the bins and garden, Mrs Smith said the problem is getting worse.

“They relaid the patio but they keep coming back,” she said.

“They blamed the bins. They may not be clean, but they’re not maggot infested.

“I’ve got a dog and I don’t want him eating them or bringing them into the house on his paws. It’s a health and safety issue. It’s awful.

“It makes you feel dirty. You can see them crawling on the grass and the water butt is full of them.”

Her neighbour, who did not want to be named, said her two young children could not play in the garden last summer because of the “atrocious amount” of maggots.

“I just don’t know what to do,”

she said. “I hate it. I left a perfectly good house and garden to come here to benefit my children in the future and it’s just a nightmare.”

A spokesman for Sovereign said: “We were first made aware of this issue with maggots in the patio area of one of our homes in Whit-ley Way, Moreton in September.

“After a thorough investigation the pest controller initially concluded that the maggots maybe emanating from the wheelie bins.

“As it would appear the problem has re-emerged, Sovereign will continue to investigate and seek further advice from experts.

“We will work closely with our residents to alleviate this issue. In the meantime we remind residents that wheelie bins are their responsibility and we recommend that they are disinfected regularly.”

A spokesperson for CALA Homes Midlands said: “Ownership of the property has now been passed from CALA Homes to Sovereign Housing and we understand Sovereign are continuing to work closely with residents to resolve the issue.