
A Lancashire MP has blasted council officials who plan to "wall-up" a nest of wasps INSIDE a house where they have terrorised a three-year-old girl.
Little Lexi Morton has become a "refugee" from her own bedroom after council officials refused to shift the swarm of angry insects.
Frightened Lexi has been forced to sleep on the couch after the buzzing pests got in through a gap between facia boards and bricks in her council house home.
They have made their nest in the roof space above Lexi's room and stray wasps have been getting-in.
West Lancashire District Council agreed to repair the fault but said Lexi's parents must foot the bill for exterminating the wasps' nest.
Father-of-two, William Morton, 35, said he couldn't believe the council were putting money ahead of his daughter's safety.
Mr Morton said: "Lexi has not slept in her room for weeks. She is running round the house petrified whenever she sees a fly, let alone a wasp.
"There's a big mark on the bedroom ceiling coming through from where the nest is. It's only a matter of time before they are all over the house.
"For the sake of someone coming out for 20 minutes to get rid of them they are refusing to look after one of their own tenants.
"It is a matter of principle. They have admitted that there is a gap in the fascia boards that they will repair.
"But they say they will not handle the wasps that have got in through the gap and we have to pay to have them removed.
"They would come along and wall-up the wasps inside the house. God knows what would happen with them then. It is crazy."
West Lancashire Labour MP Rosie Cooper also condemned the the council's response.
She said: "Lexi is a refugee from her own bedroom room and is stuck sleeping on the couch until the wasps are removed.
"The council's stance on this is absolutely ridiculous. They have said it's nothing to do with them and it's the family's problem to sort out.
"I cannot believe that the council is prepared to repair the gap in the fascia board and wall-up the wasps inside. It's barmy!"
Added Mr Morton said: "Sealing the crack will just trap them in the house. We'll be stuck with a bunch of angry wasps with no way of escaping.
"At the moment there is a steady stream of them going in and out but if they were blocked in then that would just give us a bigger problem."
West Lancashire District Council said it will charge #40 for destroying the wasps' nest.
A spokesperson for the council said: "Responsibility for pest treatment services normally falls to the tenant in council homes.
"Staff from housing services have visited the property and the presence of the wasps has not been caused by any structural fault to the building.
"It is also impossible to ensure that a home is 100% protected against wasp infestations.
"The council is surprised that Mr Morton is prepared to put his family in this position rather than pay for this service, which is reasonably priced."
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