A MAJOR infestation of rats has forced the temporary closure of Minehead Hospital's only in- patient ward as builders are drafted in to dig up floors and check wall cavities in the hunt for the rodents. Hospital managers confirmed this week that they had been trying to tackle the problem for the past couple of months and had brought in specialists to "blast" the drains and lay baited poison after smells and scratching noises were reported in the Victorian building. But the measures have failed to resolve the problems. A spokesman for the Somerset Primary Care Trust said between four and five dead rats had been found inside the hospital - but not in patient areas - within the last week or so and insisted that no live rats had been seen. He said he could confirm the presence of rats within a drain, wall and floor cavity. A series of meetings between senior hospital managers led to the decision on Monday to close the ward. The current 11 patients in the 16-bed unit have been discharged either home or to local nursing homes and any future demand for beds is expected to be met largely by Williton Hospital. The spokesman said builders had started remedial work on Tuesday, which was expected to last approximately two weeks, with the ward hopefully re-opening by mid-January. Outpatients clinics and the hospital's Minor Injuries Unit are said to be unaffected by the disruption, although some of the hospital facilities, including the kitchen, will be unavailable for staff. The spokesman said staff who had been working on the ward may be transferred temporarily to Williton Hospital. "Hospital managers would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused to patients but would like to reassure the public that no live rats have been seen in the hospital and all necessary action is being taken to eliminate the problem." he said. "It is not possible to carry out remedial work whilst patients are present on the wards." The infestation has been reported to West Somerset Council's environmental health unit because visitors to the hospital are understood to have provided anecdotal evidence of rat sightings in the nearby area, prompting fears that the town may have a wider rat problem. Council spokesman Stacey Beaumont confirmed that the authority had been informed about the situation at the hospital and that there had been no increase in the number of requests for domestic pest control in Minehead or elsewhere in the district in recent months. "While the council has given advice and information to the primary care trust, it does not have jurisdiction over hospital property, its condition or drainage as these issues are governed by specialist medical authorities." The hospital, housed in a former town hall which dates back to 1889, is widely accepted as being past its sell-by date and unsuitable in the long term to meet the demands of a modern health service. It is to be replaced as part of the hoped-for £35 million New Horizons healthplex on land behind the West Somerset Community College off Seaward Way.