A South Croydon man has been named Pest Controller of the Year in the 2024 National Pest Awards.

Josh Bates from Kenley works for Kenley-based Cleankill Pest Control and beat thousands of other pest controllers across the country.

He said: “I love the pest control industry and I only wish I had become involved in the industry sooner.

“It’s a career I am completely committed to, and every day brings huge job satisfaction.

“I am really thrilled to have won the Pest Controller of the Year Awards and still can’t quite believe it.

“I have worked very hard to prove myself as a professional pest controller and to get this sort of recognition from people outside the company is very important to me.”

Josh decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and join Cleankill Pest Control in 2019, having spent the previous eight years in John Lewis.

He first helped at Cleankill Pest Control when he was just out of school which gave him his first taste of life as a pest controller.

Josh currently services many postcodes in south London providing high-quality routine inspections to domestic and commercial sites as well as carrying out a variety of individual job work.

Cleankill Managing Director Paul Bates said: “Josh is known for delivering a high level of service while being patient with customers in highly stressful situations.

“He has a calm, friendly manner which puts the customers at ease.

“For one of our technicians to win this award is very special.

“We have won many awards as a company but to now have an individual win an award is brilliant.

“Individuals make our company and we rely on them to deliver our services.”

The judges were impressed by Josh’s Level 3 Certificate in Pest Control and the range of courses and qualifications he has completed.

He is also involved in ‘out in the field’ training of new members of operational staff as part of their induction programme.

Cleankill Pest Control is a Gold Investors in People accredited organisation and in the top 16 per cent of recognised companies worldwide.

Now employing more than 50 staff, Cleankill Pest Control offers eradication and preventative services for all public health pests, including rats; mice; wasps; cockroaches; squirrels; fleas; bed bugs and pest birds.

As a registered waste carrier, Cleankill also removes pigeon debris and other waste.

With offices in Surrey, East Sussex, Bristol and Buckinghamshire, Cleankill has many customers throughout London, Surrey, Sussex, the Home Counties, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

One of the key business objectives which sets Cleankill apart is an environmentally responsible approach to pest prevention and an ethos of detection and prevention first - rather than purely destruction.

The main focus is business-to-business, particularly working with facilities managers responsible for multi-site operations.

Cleankill is a leading member of the pest control industry with an emphasis on a fast, efficient and ‘green’ service delivered by one of the most highly trained and qualified teams in the industry.

The company regularly introduces new services and techniques in order to stay ahead of competitors and is often called in to solve problems after other companies have failed.