COUNCIL house tenants in Darlington are suffering an abnormal level of ant infestations.

Darlington Borough Council has been inundated with complaints, but the pest control unit does not know why there is such an extraordinary number of infestations.

Kathleen King, 37, has been fighting to keep the infestation under control in her council home in Aviemore Court, on the Red Hall estate, since the end of January.

But after her eight-year-old son, Toby, had an allergic reaction to one of the ant bites, she has had enough.

"In January they came and gave us some powder for the ants and sprayed to get rid of them, but it hasn't worked. They are everywhere, especially in the kitchen and the sitting room," she said.

"They are even in the fridge. Every day I am having to throw food away after they have got into things, and we are sick of it.

"I have been bitten a few times, as well as Rebecca, my ten-year-old daughter, but now Toby has had an allergic reaction to it. I've had enough"

Miss King, who works as a meals supervisor at Harrowgate Hill Junior School, said that she had to take Toby to the emergency doctor's surgery last Tuesday.

"He had been bitten on his left arm, just above his elbow," she said.

"His arm had gone all swollen and red and the veins in his arms went all red as well. The doctor we saw said it was because Toby has a particular kind of blood and that is why he is allergic to the bites, and that we need to be rehoused."

Miss King said she is waiting for the council's pest control unit to visit the property to deal with the infestation.

A council spokesman said anyone suffering with an ant infestation should contact the pest control unit, which will assess the problem, take action if necessary, and provide advice on dealing with ants.

"It is very, very difficult if ants do nest somewhere under your property. It is hard to get rid of them properly, but it is not difficult to control them with the powders," he said.

"There seems to be an extraordinary amount of complaints about ants at the moment. We don't know why, but we can help people control the infestations."

For information call the council on (01325) 380651.