Yup I think a trap is the best bet.

Well ... update ... it's the next door neighbours that called in the vermin control from the council. They reckon they have heard rattus mooching about at night. It was the council pest controller that said I should be told about it as he had seen rat droppings in their loft, and said the rat could easily get through to mine, if he hadn't started in mine.

I've just popped up there to look for droppings. No need worry about droppings as evidence. My old pair of cricket pads are in the loft and something has nibbled through the thin plastic coating and started pulling the stuffing out of the pads. So ratty has been in my loft. The thieving of the padding suggests he/she is nesting?

I did offer the lad money to sort that hole in the gable end. He's a neighbour of many years and I've done him loads of favours re lending him tools and also helped/done the odd job on his car. He refused to accept payment. After a couple of weeks went by I talked to him again and politely suggested that if he was busy then I would pay someone to come and do it as it needed doing ASAP. He said not to get anyone else in as he would do it for nowt.

It's a bit more complicated as there is an old caravan that can't be moved at the moment on that side of the house. So you can't get at that hole on ladders up the side of the house. You have to get on the roof from the front of the house and do it leaning over from the roof. He actually popped ladders up at the front when I first asked him about it. He was on the roof in seconds and leaning over the hole. He said " There you go mate ... I'll have that done in 5 mins ... I'll bring some stuff in the van tomorrow and sort that ". Never happened and I forgot about it.

Anyway ... First job. Sort rat out. There's no way I'm shooting it in there. Too confined and too many obstacles and ratty isn't going to come out 6 feet from me and stand still whilst I shoot him.

I took the Ivy off the front of the house last year and started removing it from the back just before Christmas. To be honest it came off really easy in the parts where I have removed it. It does look nice and I have several pairs of sparrows living in it so it will be sad to see it go, but it is going.