Six children found living in 'Victorian slum' house filled with dog mess, mouse droppings and used nappies

Shocking pictures have emerged of a house resembling a "Victorian slum" in Wirral, Merseyside, from where six children were rescued earlier this year.

Parents of the children, who cannot be named due to reporting restrictions put in place to protect the identity of the minors, admitted to child cruelty in a recent appearance at Liverpool Crown Court. They will be sentenced for their negligence in November this year.

Meanwhile, disturbing pictures from inside the house showed that the family was living in extremely unhealthy conditions, surrounded by dog poo, mouse droppings, used nappies, and a rodent infestation. Mountains of rubbish were piled up in the kitchen, while the sink and bathtub were filled with discarded cans and bottles.

The clothes were strewn across the floor, while the children's school uniforms were stored in a room with old plastic bottles, bags full of rubbish, and Pot Noodle containers on the floor. A rodent was found in one of the children's drawers, while their bunk beds and bedrooms were "disgusting." The bathroom and the toilet had also not been cleaned for a considerable time and were unfit for use, reports Mail Online.

A statement from one of the children read in court said that the house was "an absolute dump" and "not fit to be lived in," noting that they did not even have running water. "I would say both my parents are to blame for these conditions. We just need help," the victim said.

Prosecutor Trevor Parry-Jones told the court that the living conditions in the house came to light after police were called to an argument between the couple. "What they were confronted with could only be described as a scene of unutterable squalor, more reminiscent of the Victorian slum era than the 21st century," he said.

The children were then evacuated and supplied with necessities, while both parents were arrested and interviewed. During the interrogation, the parents blamed their "very long" working hours for their negligence. The father admitted that the conditions in the house were "very bad" and dangerous for the children, but claimed that he had cleaned up a month ago. Meanwhile, the mother revealed that they only ate takeaway food and the "vile" conditions in the house were made worse by their large pet dog.

The prosecutor told the judge that both the parents, who had previous convictions, did not seek assistance despite knowing the "dangerous" and "unsanitary" conditions of their house. He also mentioned that the authorities had paid several visits to the house over the years. The living conditions were deemed satisfactory in the first check in 2010, but recorded as "unhygienic and dirty" in 2013, "very poor" in 2015, and "not dirty but poor" in 2017. Police had alerted social services about the living conditions after two visits in 2018.

The judge demanded answers as to why nothing was done sooner and ordered welfare reports on all six of the children, including information about whether they had suffered physical or psychological harm.