Posh street where Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens lived could be riddled with rats

By Jacob Phillips, local democracy reporter

A posh street where Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens once lived could be infested with rats after multiple sitings were made by concerned residents.

One resident was recently forced to kick a tampon aside after it spilled out of a chewed bin bag.

Hyde Park Gate is decorated with blue plaques, celebrating the likes of former residents such as Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.

But now its infamous residents appear to be much smaller and furrier.

Rats were spotted scurrying around and rubbish built up on the street by local families.

Now residents are embarrassed they have become the “shame of Hyde Park”.

Jasmyne King-Leeder, who lives in a house with three blue plaques, said: “I saw the rats up there. The rubbish was up to two metres tall.

“They will come back again. It’s been happening constantly.”

The famous Victorian author Charles Dickens moved out of the street after having pneumonia and allegedly labelled it an “odious little street”.

Now residents are scared it could return to the state Dickens described.

The quiet Central London street was filled with rubbish for two weeks despite residents asking Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) to clear the growing mess.

Stacks of rubbish were so high they had even begun blocking one resident’s window.

Although the large bags of rubbish were cleared by Kensington and Chelsea council today (November 11) – some bags still remain.

When Jasmyne inspected the area she was forced to kick a tampon aside after it spilt out of a chewed bin bag.

Jasmyne added: “Everyone has basements so if the rats continue they will move into other basements.

“It’s been building up for months. It is revolting. The smell was awful.

“The rats were all over the black bags. They were just running in between.”