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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Hoarder threatened with council action after mountain of rubbish, broken furniture and trolley full of groceries piles high in her front garden
A hoarder has been threatened with council action after letting a mountain of rubbish with broken furniture and Tesco groceries pile high in her front garden. Sharon Cochrane is under intense scrutiny from neighbours who complain the mess is attracting vermin to their cul-de-sac in Hunstanton, Norfolk. Shocking images show pots and pans left to gather grime, coat hangers, rubbish bins and even a packet of chestnut mushrooms past the use-by date. Ms Cochrane has shrugged off the criticism saying it is no one's business and 'I don't understand why people are so concerned'. She added 'the world is going to hell in a handbasket' and has questioned why people are 'so concerned about the furniture in my front drive'. But enraged locals in the Victorian seaside town are vowing to take 'direct action' if the rubbish is not removed in front of the Chatsworth Road bungalow. They have also claimed 'nothing seems to happen' when they complain and say the only time they see Ms Cochrane is when she 'walks past to Tesco with a shopping trolley'. It comes as a car with a damaged wing and flat front tyre has also been parked on the street outside with a sideboard next to it. Despite the council's warnings of direct action, officers are trying to work co-operatively with Ms Cochrane and say no deadline has been set because she is now trying to clean the rubbish. But impatient neighbours have insisted they have been 'suffering with this on and off for 10 years'. One householder said: 'People have tried to get lots of different agencies involved but nothing seems to happen. 'We only occasionally see her walk past to Tesco with a shopping trolley. 'This is a quiet, peaceful road and it's a shame.' Tammy Edmunds, spokesman of Chatsworth Road, added: 'How can the law of the land let someone live in such squalor and filth? 'I appreciate there are laws and regulations but some people seem to live above them. 'The street has been suffering with this on and off for ten years and in the last five weeks its gotten worse. 'It's a fire hazard and risk of health and safety. 'We've heard of rats from there spreading across to other properties which has meant pest control have had to come out.' Ms Cochrane previously insisted it was no one else's business. She said: 'The world is going to hell in a handbasket and people care so much about my furniture on my own drive. 'I don't understand why people are so concerned.' West Norfolk Council says it is working Ms Cochrane 'to manage her property'. A spokesman added: 'The council is working with the owner to manage her property. 'Officers recognise that she has made an effort to clear the exterior and they will continue to support her to do this. 'However, they also have the council's authority to take direct action, which means that if it becomes necessary a clear-up can be undertaken, for which she will be liable.' The council has served an enforcement notice under the Town and Country Planning Act ordering Ms Cochrane to clear up the mess. If it takes 'direct action', she would be liable for the cost of removing it and could have a charge put on her property to recover the money if she is unable to pay.
CNA
14-05-2025
- General
- CNA
She used to fear insects – now she keeps buildings pest-free, one rat and cockroach at a time
What would normally give the average person the shivers is nothing to Norhayati Samsudin. The pest control officer deals with all manner of vermin, from cockroaches to termites, mosquitoes, rats, wasps and monkeys, on a daily basis. Her job at Industrial & Commercial Facilities Management isn't what most people imagine frontline work to be, but it's something Norhayati takes pride in. To the 44-year-old, pest control isn't just about 'getting rid of' or killing pests. It's about keeping a place clean and making sure animals are moved to a safe space so they don't disturb the area. 'I like what I do,' she said. 'I keep places clean, and that makes me glad.' She is usually stationed at a single location – a shopping mall, school, hotel, or restaurant – and she spends the day checking for cockroach infestations, mosquito breeding and wasp nests, while clearing out termites and deterring monkeys. COCKROACHES, TERMITES, RATS – SHE'S SEEN THEM ALL Pest control officers have to pass certification tests to ensure they're able to respond appropriately to different animals and pests. For example, Norhayati, who has been in pest control for over four years, is trained to handle situations involving monkeys, to get the animals to leave an area without resorting to force or harm. Norhayati carries equipment with her, such as a 5kg pesticide sprayer to get rid of cockroaches. 'Sometimes, my pest control uniform is enough of a deterrent,' she laughed, recalling when her team was called in to handle a troop of monkeys gathering near a restaurant. This troop was a familiar nuisance, and indeed, the moment Norhayati appeared on the scene, the animals seemed to recognise her uniform and scurried off. At one school she was stationed at, she stepped in to make sure the monkeys that had wandered in from a nearby park wouldn't disturb and steal items from the students. 'People always give me this weird look when I say I do pest control,' she said in Malay. 'Then I tell them I handle monkeys, and suddenly, they're interested.' The most common pest she's had to deal with is, however, the infamous cockroach. 'Cockroaches are everywhere, that's something you can't run away from,' she said. Norhayati has become somewhat of a roach expert. She is so familiar with them that she can guess how big they are, whether they're the type that can fly or not, and how fast they can move, just from their droppings. 'It's gross, but the information can be pretty handy because with it, we'll know how best to deal with cockroaches,' she laughed. Once, she uncovered a whole corner of cockroach eggs. It's an episode that still makes Norhayati's skin crawl. In another incident, she had to calm a crying woman who was terrified of a flying cockroach. After removing the pest, Norhayati made sure the room was free of nests and eggs before leaving. She's now grown used to seeing all sorts of pests, like a gathering of lizards in the corner of a classroom or a large wall of termite nests growing in a cupboard. AN INTEREST IN THE UNCONVENTIONAL 'I'm a mum of seven awesome children, and I've helped my sister care for her kids too,' she said. 'So very little fazes me and I like trying new things.' She formerly worked in the food and beverage industry, starting as service staff and eventually managing a few restaurants. She also dabbled in facilities management, tried food delivery, and for a while, was a stay-at-home mum to her kids, now aged between 11 and 25. One thing has stuck with her across all her experiences: She likes keeping places clean. 'If a place isn't clean, it can really affect the mood,' she said. 'It may sound obvious, but I saw how a dirty place can turn many people off in the restaurants I managed.' She got into pest control 'accidentally' after a friend in the industry suggested she might enjoy the work because she was so particular about cleanliness. At first, Norhayati laughed it off. 'I had the same reaction most people probably would, which I'm honestly embarrassed about now,' she said. 'Why would I want to work in pest control? It sounded dirty and gross.' But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She'd already been trying out different jobs, and she was craving something more stable that would allow her to be home more with her children. Plus, as someone who gravitated towards the unconventional, this didn't seem so far off. Even her initial fear of cockroaches and other insects like large ants and termites disappeared quickly once she immersed herself in her job. 'It was like the fear was all in my head,' she said. 'Just because I'm a woman, I thought I had to be scared of pests, but they didn't bother me that much at all.' A BOOST TO HER CONFIDENCE It's this fearlessness from work that Norhayati also brings to other aspects of her life. At home, she regularly impresses her children, especially her sons, when she deals with pests swiftly and silently, without flinching. She sees herself and her teammates as 'unsung heroes'. 'If I keep thinking my job is lame, that nothing I do is special, and I'm just some pest killer, of course I'll feel low about myself,' she said. 'I don't want to fall into that. So I choose to see what's special about what I do – and how my colleagues and I can all make it special, too.' To Norhayati, being a pest control officer isn't just about spraying chemicals or chasing off animals – it's also about protecting people. 'If there weren't people like us, places wouldn't be clean. And when things aren't clean, a lot can go wrong,' she said. 'So we help make things right, and to me, that's enough to make us heroes.' Being the only woman in her team of around 10 also doesn't bother her. In fact, she enjoys the dynamic. Working with men, she said, has taught her to stand her ground and speak up when she needs to. It also offers a kind of balance in her life – most of her social circle is made up of women. 'This is a role people don't really pay much attention to,' she said. 'But it keeps me active. It has taught me to be more alert and observant. The stability and predictability of the schedule lets me spend time with my children, and it literally keeps the streets clean.'
