Enormous 22 inch RAT found in home as councillor issues giant rodent warning for thousands of residents

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Residents have been left disgusted after an enormous 22-inch rat was found in a home in Redcar and Cleveland.
Hundreds expressed their shock and disgust after a picture of the supersized rodent was posted on social media by local councillors.
Conservative Party councillors David Taylor and Stephen Martin criticised the Labour-run council for its inaction and called for a full vermin study to be carried out across the borough.
The rat, which has a potentially record-breaking size in UK terms, was discovered recently in a property in the Normanby area by a pest controller who had been called to investigate.
It is unknown how it accessed the property, which it is believed to have been nesting in, but rats had been reported in back alleys nearby.
In their social media post, Mr Taylor described public bins in parts of the Eston and Whale Hill area as 'overflowing', with shops, particularly takeaways, dumping items in them and providing 'easy food' for rodents.
He wrote: 'It's almost the size of a small cat. And it's not a one-off.
'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get. We need action — not just advice.'
In response to their post, dozens of residents shared their concerns about the growing problem in the area
In response to their post, dozens of residents shared their concerns about the growing problem in the area.
Rats are known to grow to a large size when there is an ongoing abundant supply of food.
The Eston ward councillors pointed out that Redcar & Cleveland Council no longer handle domestic rat infestations, instead expecting residents to foot the bill themselves.
But the councillors argue that due to public land being left overgrown and overflowing bins, the problem has been made worse.
As well as a full vermin study, they are calling for 'proper funding' to tackle infestations and joint action with businesses and landlords - so tackling vermin is built into tenancies and responsibilities.
As with many other cash-strapped local authorities, the council no longer offers pest control to private households, but retains a full-time officer to tackle issues on council land.
Not all social housing providers automatically offer such a service, or if they do, it is only on a discretionary basis, according to the Yorkshire Post.
A spokeswoman for the council said: 'The council has a dedicated pest control officer who manages pest issues on council-owned land. While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible.
Redcar and Cleveland residents have been left dismayed at the council's response
'The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions. There is also helpful guidance and preventative measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests.'
It is estimated that there could be around 250 million rats in the UK.
They can carry illnesses which can be passed to humans, including Weil's disease, which has flu-like symptoms initially but can lead to jaundice and kidney failure.
Less frequent bin collections can see foxes tearing overflowing bins apart and spilling the contents, which encourages rats to come from the sewers to feed on the waste.
Bin collections are already under threat as some councils look to cut costs, as the Local Government Association last year estimated that councils in England could face a £4 billion funding gap over the next two years.
Rats are a major problem as they pose a big health hazard and they breed rapidly, so they need to be dealt with by a professional as soon as they are suspected.
In April, the British Army was called in to rodent-ridden Birmingham after pest control experts labelled the city 'apocalyptic' due to the bin strikes taking place at the time.
A pest control expert had been forced to patrol the streets of Birmingham armed with an air rifle as a swelling rat army, some said to be 'the size of cats', plagued the UK's second city's streets.
Droves of monstrously sized rodents had been gorging on the growing pile of leftover refuse as almost 400 bin workers have intermittently been on strike in Labour-run Birmingham since January.
Additionally an increase in fly-tipping and HS2 building work helped spark the invasion, with residents finding rodents tucked behind wheelie bins and nestling under car bonnets.