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Rat infestation shuts island school

A specialist vermin extermination team was drafted in to tackle the problem at Uig primary school on the west coast of Lewis.
A specialist vermin extermination team was drafted in to tackle the problem at Uig primary school on the west coast of Lewis.

An infestation of rats has shut a Western Isles school.

A specialist vermin extermination team was drafted in to tackle the problem at Uig primary school on the west coast of Lewis.

Pupils were sent to a different school outside the district earlier today.

While they were being taught lessons on the Isle of Bernera, Western Isles Council called in pest control experts from the mainland to kill the rodents.

The council said the school will re-open tomorrow.

A local building firm was removing a pile of dirt and stones from the rear of the building.

The council’s environmental health officer was on site for most of the day.

Uig school has around twelve pupils and one teacher.

Parents were told of the infestation this morning, the day after a public holiday.

Originally, the clean-up was expected to take a few days with arrangements made to bus pupils to Bernera for the rest of the week.

The local authority said pupils would return to their own school tomorrow after the work was completed ahead of schedule.

A council spokesman confirmed: “There was an issue with rats at Uig School. Monday was a public holiday and the school was closed on Tuesday.

“Children were temporarily transferred to school on Bernera.

“We have finished the deep clean and the school will reopen on Thursday for pupils and staff.”

He said the council’s environmental health department and a specialist pest control firm from the mainland were tackling the problem.