Where it appears to a local authority upon a certificate of the proper officer of the authority that any article in any premises—
is in so filthy a condition as to render its cleansing, purification or destruction necessary in order to prevent injury, or danger of injury, to the health of any person in the premises; or
is verminous, or by reason of its having been used by, or having been in contact with, any verminous person is likely to be verminous,
the local authority shall cause that article to be cleansed, purified, disinfected or destroyed, as the case may require, at their expense and, if necessary for that purpose, to be removed from the premises.