Sir – Dismayed to discover rats at large in my back garden recently, I was not pleased to be charged a standard fee of £28 for a series of three visits by Oxford City Council’s pest-control team — a service which used to be provided free of charge to all. But I changed my mind when I learned that some private companies typically charge £70 per single visit — and some much more than that. One commercial company, charging £90 for three visits, suggests, by its name, logo, and typeface, that it is a council-run service. One wonders how much faith to put in the integrity of such a business.

By contrast, I have found the service provided by the council’s own team of friendly experts to be absolutely impartial and reliable. Sad to report, even though their service remains free-of-charge for those on means-tested benefits, the demand from householders has declined since the introduction of the standard charge.

But the problem of rats won’t go away if householders ignore it. (Apparently rats become sexually mature at the age of two months and produce a litter every two months; in theory one pair can produce as many as 1,000 offspring in the course of a year). Please print this letter to encourage householders to contact the council’s pest-control service on 01865 252888 at the first sign of trouble. Use it or lose it, fellow citizens!

Catherine M. Robinson, Oxford