Glasgow family forced to fork out more than £200 after car damaged by rats in Govanhill

Paras Ansari, 34, was driving home from the supermarket earlier this month when she noticed the car’s coolant warning light come on.

Upon opening the bonnet with her husband Noman later that day, they were "shocked" to discover half of the insulation liner had been chewed away and the engine area was covered in rat droppings.

Images supplied by Paras Ansari showing damage and rat droppings inside engine.

Unable to drive the car because of the damage to the engine, the couple then had to spend £40 on a recovery truck to take the vehicle to the car wash, at the request of the mechanic, and then the garage before paying £190 for the coolant to be fixed.

Paras, who lives in Govanhill, says she was "surprised" to find so much damage caused by the rodents.

The mum-of-three said: "I was angry and panicked a little bit because we were running short on money that particular week, so it was a mixture of feelings.

"At that time, we didn’t know how much it was going to cost, and we weren’t sure if it was going to cost more than £300."

Paras with Umaima, nine, Rayyan, seven, and nine-month-old Umaiza.

While the engine’s coolant has now been fixed, the insulation liner underneath the bonnet has not been replaced, with the only option available to search a junkyard to find one from a similar vehicle.

Paras says there have been issues with rats in the area, which she believes have been caused by litter and food waste in the street and rubbish bags being left beside bins.

She said: "My children play in the back garden. It’s a communal garden and they’re always screaming that rats are running around in the bin area and there are sometimes dead mice in the play area.

"You can see the rats running around in the back garden when you go to the bin."

She added: "Mice are all over the area and everybody in the area is complaining they have mice in the house."

Cllr Soryia Siddique, who Paras contacted about the damage, said: "I am increasingly concerned by the seriousness of the complaints raised by Govanhill residents with potential public health issues which I have raised with Glasgow City Council.

"Communities have been raising concerns around missed bin collections, overflowing bins and infestation.

"It is imperative all partners including the Scottish Government work together and ensure there is adequate funding and new ideas to resolve these ongoing challenges in the area.

"Govanhill communities deserve better."

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: "Rats are primarily in search of sources of food and to ensure pest controls are effective, it essential that food waste is properly disposed of at all times.

"It is the responsibility of residents, owners and factors to ensure their property is kept in good order as part of the effort to deter vermin."