A fight has started against a sneaky rat which has been haunting one family’s toilet every night.

Home-owner Margaret Woods and her husband Keith have been plagued by rats over the last few years – even managing to video one sneaking up their u-bend.

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A sewer rat

However, after a story by this newspaper Thames Water visited Sorrento Road in Sutton last week to clear out the sewers and put bait down to stop the rat problem.

Since Thames Water has been tackling the problem the Woods have not seen a return of the rat they called Roland.

Mrs Woods said: "The man said they saw on the CCTV there was a rat infestation and they had found a nest.

"Since Thames Water came round a neighbour round the corner has experienced some rats in their garden.  We don’t know whether it has affected it.

"We haven’t seen anything but we are still very cautious."

The family have also been sent a special flap for their loo, called a Multiflap, which allows waste to flush away but prevents anything nasty coming up the other way.

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Margaret and Keith Woods