4:34pm Friday 28th September 2007
By The Page Turner
A JUDGE today sympathised with an Oxford academic who withheld part of her council tax after claiming that fortnightly rubbish collections led to a rat infestation in her home.
Dr Frances Kennett, 62, of Great Clarendon Street, Jericho, appeared before district judge Brian Loosley, who said he was obliged by law to impose a liability order on her for the amount she owed the city council, which is understood to be more than £1,000.
Dr Kennett appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court this afternoon after withholding one month's instalment of council tax after rats invaded her home at the start of the year.
Mr Loosley said he had no option but to grant the liability order to the city council.
But he added that he was lucky enough to still benefit from a weekly collection in West Oxfordshire and added that he felt sorry for Dr Kennett, a fundraiser within Oxford University.
Mr Loosley said: "Having made an order in Dr Kennett's case I have every sympathy with her with regard to the rat infestation she has, which appears to be caused by the council's decision to move to fortnightly waste collection.
"In these circumstances, I consider it wrong for me to award any costs against Dr Kennett and I would hope that the council, particularly the environmental health department, would contact Dr Kennett to discuss her problem before taking any further enforcement action."
Following the hearing, Dr Kennett said: "This is an embarrassing day for Oxford City Council."
She added that she would continue to campaign on the issue of rat infestations but added that she was prepared to discuss her case with the council.
Jean Fooks, the city council's executive member for a cleaner city, described Mr Loosley's assertion that there was a link between the rats and the fortnightly collection as "absolute rubbish".
She added: "Rats have been found next door to Dr Kennett's home and we are trying to help neighbours get rid of the problem.
"In Jericho and Osney in 2004, there were 80 call-outs up until the end of September, in 2005 it was 50, in 2006 it was 33, and in 2007 it was 40.
"The number of call-outs are still half the total of three years ago, which does suggest there is no connection with the fortnightly collections."
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