Health officials have finally stepped in to rescue neighbours from a derelict home in Sandys that has become a breeding ground for rats and mosquitoes.

According to East Shore Drive residents a team of Environmental Health staff called in on the property yesterday morning.

And while senior officials refused to enter the property on the grounds that they did not have permission from the owners, workmen have now started clearing debris and overgrown vegetation surrounding the building.

The Royal Gazette first highlighted the concerns of residents last month after they complained the neighbourhood had been infested with vermin. Neighbours asserted the abandoned home — which has been empty for about ten years — was the cause of the problem.

Ray Crofton said that rainwater was collecting inside the home through holes in the roof, while furniture and household debris made it an ideal location for rats to thrive.

Responding to allegations last week that Government had failed to take action more than six weeks after being notified of the problem, a spokesman insisted the situation was being monitored.

Mr Crofton confirmed that a team of health officials were at the site yesterday morning, and that action was now being taken to clear the property’s grounds of debris.

“We had a team of five guys come over this morning and had a very productive meeting with them,” Mr Crofton said.

Mr Crofton added that he was shown a mosquito trap that had been set by officials, who also put down rat poison.

“At last some progress appears to have been made, although they will still need to get into the property to get to the heart of the problem,” Mr Crofton said.

“It’s common sense that that’s where the problem lies, although they keep on saying that they need permission from the owners.”

Yesterday, a Government spokesman would only say that investigations into the health hazard were still under investigation.

Mr Crofton has been invited to hold talks on the matter with the Department of Health’s acting director.