Neighbours living near the site of garages demolished by the council say they have been forgotten about as their homes have been overrun by rats.

In April this year Harrow Borough Council pulled down 90 garages in Augustine Road, Hatch End which had become a target for anti-social behaviour.

But the site has since remained empty and several homes that back on to the land have been infested with rats.

Derek Walsh, 60, who has lived in the road for 40 years, said: “In all the years I’ve lived here we’ve never had a problem with rats before.

“The council made all these promises about the site but we’ve been left with all these problems.

“We’re being ignored and they have just forgotten about us.”

Abdillah Khalid, 34, who lives with his wife and four children, said: “We have really had problems in our house. There are rats in the kitchen upstairs and I’m worried about my children’s safety.

“It’s just horrible and a lot of people here are very angry and upset. We never had rats before when the garages were up."

Father of four John Vincent, who has rats in his loft, said: “When the council pulled the garages down we were told there were going to build more houses or provide car parking, but nothing has been done.

“When the garages were up there was a wall behind them, which was a barrier for the sound and the rats.

“Yes, there was anti-social behaviour, but we still have problems even though the garages are gone.

“It seems the council has just forgotten about us and the site and left us with even more problems.”

At the time of the demolition the council said it hoped to use the land for more social housing, or something else to benefit the local community if it was unsuitable.

A spokesman for Harrow Council said: “The empty garages in Augustine Road had become a magnet for anti-social behaviour and their demolition was designed to put a halt to this behaviour.

“We appreciate that progress is taking time but a number of uses have been suggested by residents for the land, and we want to get this right in partnership with local people.

"We have spoken to residents about potential development opportunities and they have provided a number of helpful suggestions. We hope to be able to provide an update in the near future.

“Since the garages have been demolished our environmental health team and pest control have visited the area regularly.

“We are also ensuring that National Rail’s pest control team inspect and treat the railway land adjacent to Augustine Road. Residents can also call our blitz team at any time.”