LONDON, Aug 6 — A supersized rat spotted in a home in Normanby in north-east England has sparked calls for urgent pest control as locals blame council service cuts for a growing infestation.
The rodent, said to measure 56cm from nose to tail, was likened in size to a desktop monitor or carry-on suitcase, The Guardian reported two days ago.
“I had to do a double take when I saw a picture of it.
“You can tell by the size of the bag that it’s not a normal size. It’s the size of a cat,” a local councillor in Eston ward, Stephen Martin was quoted as saying.
Martin, whose Eston ward is near the site, said this isn’t an isolated case and the rat population has been “getting worse for a few years now”.
The council no longer offers pest control services to private households, leaving residents to deal with infestations on their own.
“Rats are being spotted more and more around our area,” Martin added, noting that infestations often start on public or housing land.
Meanwhile, uncollected waste is piling up due to bins tagged for contamination rather than emptied – Martin says is just “attracting more rats and they are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger”.
Fellow councillor David Taylor echoed Martin and said he has never seen a rat this size.
He warned that urban sprawl, fly-tipping and fast food waste have created a perfect storm.
“The rats obviously lived in the sewers but they’re now walking the streets,” he was quoted as saying.
