ROTTING food in overflowing bins behind a fast food restaurant is enticing more and more rats to infest the alleyway next to a row of family homes.

Antonio D’Ettorre, 54, who lives with his wife in Kingsmead Drive, Northolt, blames the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, in Mandeville Road, whose bins are attracting the filthy creatures, and fears another epidemic is imminent.

Although Ealing Council installed a CCTV camera overlooking the foul spot two years ago, regular flytipping continues and Mr D’Ettorre is furious the authority has not done more to ensure the restaurant fulfils its health and safety obligation.

He said: “The rats have a food source all the time from the bins, this shouldn’t be allowed. I’ve seen a hole in the bin where the rats have chewed through it.

“I saw them going under the door of number one, so they’re getting in the houses now. "About 99.9 per cent of the time the bins are overflowed. This is appalling and I’ve complained so many times but they (the council) have got the cheek not to do anything about it."

Salma Rahman lives with her daughter adjacent to the alleyway and must put rat poison out regularly to stop the vermin getting inside.

She said: “I see them all year, always running around here. They came I think after these takeaways. I can smell them, it’s a musty smell; once they have been inside my house, in the kitchen. I spend £100 every year from my own money for pest control.”

But Mohamed Saras, supervisor at the KFC branch, said they have the problem under control. "Every week we clean around the bins and inside the bin area. Two weeks ago we saw some rats and called Rentokil and they came and got rid of them

"They take the bins every Tuesday and Saturday normally, but other people use the bins and we don't know."

A council spokeswoman said they had no record of Mr D'Ettorre's complaint so were unable to comment. However, the council would only step in if the company failed its environmental health inspection, which could lead to prosecution.