\n Rats and mice, attracted by the nearby crops and food sources, are being drawn to the sprawling estate.\n<\/p>\n
\n A tenant, who did not wish to be named, told a national newspaper: “There are always rodents in an agricultural area like this, but most people can keep the numbers under control by having a cat.”\n<\/p>\n
\n However, tenants on the estate are banned from keeping cats under a rule introduced by the late Queen Elizabeth II to protect wildlife in the area.\n<\/p>\n
\n It comes after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s new home on the estate, Marsh Farm in Wolferton, was invaded by moles earlier this year. (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n
\n But one tenant claims the rule gives vermin a free pass to cause problems.\n<\/p>\n
\n He said: “Here, that’s not permissible, so it means that they are free to multiply.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Traps can only be used indoors and on their own aren’t really effective, and poison bait stations can’t be used outside because they are potentially dangerous to other wildlife such as hedgehogs, so we’re a bit stuck.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Sandringham estate manager Rob Timmins, who attended the meeting, said responsibility for pest control “lies with the occupier, not the property owner”.\n<\/p>\n
\n Despite the complaints raised at the council meeting, the estate has not received any direct reports of vermin from tenants, it is understood.\n<\/p>\n