A WORCESTER grandmother claims families are being forced to live by a rat-infested empty house and has accused the city council of ignoring their appeals for help.

The semi-detached house in Tudor Way, Dines Green, has been unoccupied for 12 months.

Two scrap cars have been abandoned in the front garden and rats have been seen in the back garden.

Susan Hopkins says that despite a host of calls and complaints, the council has yet to do anything about the mess. Some neighbours have also written to Worcester MP Mike Foster for help.

"It smells round the back and I can't let my grandson play in the garden because of the rats," said Mrs Hopkins

"He can't play round the front either because there's broken glass everywhere."

She said that her two-year-old grandson Nathan was kept inside her home whenever he visited because of the hazards.

"The council said the house would be cleared by the end of August but it's not," added Mrs Hopkins, who lives next door to the house.

"I try to keep my house tidy but that's just a tip."

Mrs Hopkins, who works at Kays, claims that children have been seen in the garden and climbing over the walls into her back garden.

"They go around and throw glass and make even more of a mess," she said.

"Everybody around here has complained, but nothing has been done.

"We've been to the neighbourhood office and the council. What else can we do?"

Mrs Hopkins' son Allan said it was "a matter of time" before children playing round the property were hurt.

Neighbours say they understand that the previous tenant has moved on and will not be coming back.

But housing officers say that this is not the case.

"There are reasons why the present tenants are not occupying the property at the moment," said Iain Harkess, housing manager at Worcester City Council.

"We're working with the current tenants to make sure that the property will be occupied."

He refused to reveal any more details about the tenancy.