A Leicestershire family claim they have been kept up at night for months by "scratching, running and gnawing" after moving into a council house with a "rat infestation".

Alexander Pickering, 29, moved into the property in Coalville with his wife and young daughter in June 2025. The semi-detached house had been empty and was recently renovated by contractors sent by North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC).

Within weeks, the family described hearing "scratching, running and gnawing" above their young daughter's bedroom and reported it to the council on August 11.

Mr Pickering says they received no response for months but after another complaint was lodged on October 2, pest control visits were arranged.

The council later confirmed there was a rat infestation in the loft insulation. It took five visits to the property between October 6 and December 15 and, according to Mr Pickering, more than 50 units of bait to tackle the issue.

He said: "My daughter was having sleepless nights. Sometimes she'd refuse to go to bed because it was terrifying her.

"And when she heard it in the night she'd come in crying to us which is then having an effect on mine and my wife's sleep as well as my work life."

The family also reported black mould in the downstairs area of their property in November.

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Mr Pickering says the issue was not resolved until February, despite his wife, aged 31, having cystic fibrosis, putting her at higher risk.

Although he received ongoing support from Councillor Lee Windram, of Broom Leys ward, Mr Pickering feels his concerns largely fell on "deaf ears" at the council.

He said: "The situation has caused no end of stress. It was just absolutely diabolical."

In its response to the complaint, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council acknowledged failings in its handling of the case.

It admitted its contractor did not fully inspect the loft before the property was let, meaning the infestation was missed before the family moved in.

Mr Pickering initially rejected a compensation offer of £100, later increased to £500 before finally accepting £1,000.

Unhappy with the council's response, he lodged a complaint with the Housing Ombudsman, which found there had been failings in the council's initial response.

As the issues were now being addressed by the council and compensation offered, the case was closed in April.

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With scaffolding from a recent roof repair due to come down on April 29, the council says remaining work will soon be completed.

Gary Hall, head of housing at NWLDC, said: "We have been working with Mr Pickering and his family for several weeks to address the issues he has raised.

"We are aware that it has taken longer than anticipated, due to the complexity of the work required.

"However, we do have a team of people working hard on the necessary repairs, and this work is now almost complete. Our Resident Liaison Officer has kept Mr Pickering up to date on our progress at every stage.

"Once the scaffolding has been removed we will be able to complete the rest of the work."