EVERYONE must have sympathy for the householders in Weirs Lane who have had to live beside a rat-infested slum.

So we can only imagine the delight with which they received the news that the home which has stood empty for 15 years is to be sorted out – possibly by force.

Oxford City Council have threatened to step in if the house’s owner fails to sell or tidy it up.

This should serve as a wake-up call to absent landlords who have allowed their property to turn into dilapidation.