Glasgow pensioner's Milton home had 'jungle' garden

Marion Carruthers was left to cope with thick undergrowth that shot up to over three-feet tall and became completely impassable – before relatives then discovered dead rats buried in it.

The 83-year-old from Milton, who is diabetic, battling breast cancer and struggles with sight problems, can’t tend to the grounds due to her health issues and relied on the council's Assisted Garden Maintenance Service, which was suddenly stopped during the pandemic.

Kind housing bosses at the Wheatley Group stepped in, cutting back the grass as a gesture of goodwill to help Marion, but family members are concerned it will again grow out of control.

Marion's overgrown garden (Image: Gordon Terris)

Marion told the Glasgow Times: “My son used to cut it but he developed heart problems and just wasn’t fit enough. That’s when the council stepped in and staff would appear on a regular basis to trim back the grass and trees.

“It’s a huge garden and it’s just too much for me to handle. As soon as Covid stuck and lockdown happened, the service was axed and the place just got worse and worse.

“As time passed it got so bad that I was scared to go into my garden in case I fell over. It looked appalling and I was completely embarrassed by it.

“The worst part was my family found dead rats in the grass, which horrified me. My husband Dan, who passed away from cancer, loved the garden, it was his pride and joy. He’d spend hours at a time tending to it and he would be appalled at the state it’s been allowed to fall into.”

The family want the council to commit to cutting the grass again on a regular basis as they did pre-pandemic but the local authority insists there is no evidence that indicates long grass encourages rat activity.

Daughter-in-law Christine says hundreds of elderly and disabled people like Marion relied upon the vital service and want to see it reintroduced as a matter of priority.

Marion couldn't go out because her garden was so overgrown (Image: Gordon Terris)

She added: “To just leave pensioners and the vulnerable to live like this is an absolute disgrace. This is what they pay council tax for, to receive help and assistance where and when they need it. Marion worked all her days and at 83 just can’t manage a garden like this, she relied on it being looked after so she could sit there and get a wee break from being in the house.

“It reached the stage where she couldn’t even hang a washing out for fear of tripping in the long grass and tangles of weeds. Before Wheatley stepped in you needed a scythe to get through it. I’ve been complaining about this for a long time, she was left living with a garden that could only be described as a jungle. In the end, it needed professionals with specialist equipment to cut through it.

The overgrown garden (Image: Gordon Terris)

“The landlord is not responsible for cutting the grass, but they are the ones who stepped in to help last Monday. I can’t thank them enough for covering the costs and doing this, but ultimately this is the council’s responsibility. They need to come up with a long-term solution, otherwise, it’s just going to go back to how it was.

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“Thanks to Wheatley, Marion has been able to sit out and enjoy the good weather, but that should be a right not a privilege. It’s a massive area and my husband and I are in our sixties, we are just not fit enough to tend to it.  There needs to be a solid plan put in place before it all sprouts back up.

Wheatley stepped in and cut the garden back as a goodwill gesture (Image: Gordon Terris)

"The sad thing is there will be hundreds of other people, if not thousands, in the same situation after the loss of the maintenance service. There needs to be a replacement of some sort as the work hasn’t disappeared – if anything the need now that people can get out and about again is greater than ever.”

Labour Canal councillor Robert Mooney, whose ward covers Marion’s home in Berneray Street, says it’s ‘shameful’ that the OAP and many others have been left living in such poor conditions since the council axed the service.

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He told the Glasgow Times: “Many people like Marion have been left with gardens that they are unable to care for without support. I was utterly shocked when I saw for myself just how bad it was.

“It’s shameful and disgraceful that the local authority is not stepping in and remedying this. It’s a wider problem all over the city and I believe this is contributing to the issues we are seeing with rats in each of the council’s 23 wards.

“This service must be reinstated and offered to those who need it. The decision to cut it has left many vulnerable people in a desperate situation and quite frankly it’s time for a rethink.”

Marion was left with a garden that was unusable (Image: Gordon Terris)

Glasgow City Council said many factors can contribute to the presence of rats.

Their spokesperson added: “There are many factors that can influence a rat population but there is no evidence we are aware of that indicates long grass encourages rat activity.

“Ultimately rats will thrive in places where there is easy access to food, which encourages rats to nest nearby.

“The resident hasn’t contacted us directly for pest control support, but our team will visit this property to check on what action might be required.

“Residents, owners and factors always have a vital role in restricting the presence of rodents in and around their property.

“Ensuring food waste is properly contained will deter rodents, both indoors and outdoors and keeping outdoor areas tidy and well maintained will also help to prevent rodents from nesting.

“The council runs a pest control service and it is always open to householders to approach a private contractor.

“Issues with pest control are being experienced across the UK and it is widely understood that rats became more visible in residential areas during the covid lockdowns as they went in search of food.

“We monitor closely the reports received by our pest control team and we are working hard on how we can best address the circumstances reflected in recent figures.”

“The assisted garden maintenance service was always provided in addition to standard council services.

“In the context of the financial challenges facing local government, many councils have either ended their garden maintenance service or charge householders an annual fee for gardening work.

“The council does not own any housing stock and the responsibility for ground maintenance will be set-out in a property’s deeds or tenancy agreement.”