Rats eat new Melbourne home from inside

A Melbourne family is living every homeowner's worst nightmare after their brand new weatherboard house was eaten from the inside by rats.

Ann Barker said she discovered the damage caused by the ravenous vermin when the bathroom ceiling fell on her on Tuesday.

Ms Barker told 3AW she had to be dragged from beneath the rubble by her horrified daughter.

"At this stage they've chewed through nine pipes, and I've got two more leaks," Ms Barker said.

"There were holes under my veranda and holes on the corner of the roof where the guttering is. I'm waiting for someone to check the rest of the roof."

She said she suspected the damage to her four-month-old home was done by rats because she found "bite marks" on her pipes and rat droppings.

Adding insult to injury, Ms Barker said that her insurance is refusing to pay for the destruction.

"It's hideous," she said. "I've had my ceiling open for a week now, so I'm not feeling very comfortable."

Source: 3AW

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Simon Black