"Brazen" rats are appearing in a distraught mother's High Wycombe flat whenever she cooks for her children - making their lives a "misery".

Charlene Jackson, who lives in Razzaq Place in Lindsay Avenue, says her home has been "infested" with rats since October last year, but the problem has been getting worse.

The mother-of-three, who has lived in the flat for 11 years, says the rats are becoming less scared of people - and are brazenly appearing in her kitchen when she tries to cook meals for her young children.

A rat had also appeared in her toilet - leaving her nine-year-old boy scared to use it in case he gets bitten.

Charlene said: "I cannot go in the kitchen and prepare food for me and my children because there’s rats. This is ridiculous, me and my kids cannot live like this.

"Rats are running around my kitchen surfaces and in my oven. I am unable to use my kitchen to prepare meals for my family because of the fear of the disease that the rats are spreading and that they are showing themselves brazenly when I have attempted to cook.

"The rats have also chewed through my washing machine and it is now unusable, leaving me unable to wash our clothes.

"It’s stressful for me and my children to be living in these conditions. As far as I’m concerned, me and my children are living in a crisis. It’s not safe and it’s not healthy."

The concerned mum - whose children are aged 11, nine and five - said the terror of living with the rats is affecting their sleep and is having a knock-on impact the youngsters' school lives.

She added: "We need help with these disgusting conditions. All I want is to provide my children a safe and comfortable environment."

Charlene also shared a photo of a rat in her kitchen that she thought was dead - but it was actually "very much alive".

She has also asked for help from MP Steve Baker.

Housing association Housing Solutions, which looks after the homes in Razzaq Place, said: "During the short time since this problem first arose, Housing Solutions have supported this resident using a multi-pronged approach to address all of the causes of the rodent infestation.

"This includes employing pest control specialists to eradicate the rodents. We fully recognise the seriousness of a rodent infestation and our officers will continue to work with this resident to address the underlying causes of the infestation.”