An animal lover has claimed she is the victim of a witch hunt after neighbours complained about her beloved ducks and chickens which they say are attracting vermin.
Mandy Gray, from Scratby, said she has been blamed for a series of rat problems in her neighbourhood, something she believes is totally unfair.
Having already been forced to rehome her sixth-month-old cockerel because of complaints from residents about the noise it was making, Miss Gray is determined to keep hold of her remaining feathered friends.
The 26-year-old keeps her two chickens, six ducks and two pheasants, in three pens in her back garden despite a number of concerns being raised by neighbours which started last summer.
“I love my animals because they are like babies to me,” she said.
“When I was told I might have to get rid of them because of the complaints I was really upset.
“I have done nothing wrong and look after them all day - keeping the garden nice and tidy.
“It is just a witch hunt from my neighbours.”
The 26-year-old said up to four individuals had complained to her landlords, Orbit housing, and environmental health about her pets.
They claimed the animals were attracting rats to the area.
Miss Gray said she has since removed an old shed she used to keep the ducks and chickens in and has cut the undergrowth in the garden to make sure the rats have nowhere to hide.
But her neighbours are still unhappy with the noise of the ducks quacking, she said.
A spokesman for Orbit said it was happy for customers to keep pets as long as they look after them responsibly.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council confirmed an environmental services officer had visited the property earlier this year and they had no concerns over the risk of the animals attracting rats.
Miss Gray said she was delighted to be able to keep her lovable pets.
She said: “They are so friendly and have a lot of character.
“I spend all day with them and they keep me company.
“It has made my year knowing I can keep them.”
Resident, Tony Gooding, 86, who lives on the same road, said the neighbourhood had suffered with rats for a number of years.
“The rat problem is nothing new and I have no problem with the pets Mandy has,” Mr Gooding said.
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