UK NEWS
MORE RATS THAN BRITONS
INVASION: Rats could soon overrun the country, pest experts warn
By Penny Stretton
THERE are more rats in Britain than people – and the end of weekly bin collections is partly to blame.
Eighty million of the rodents are estimated to be on our streets, an increase of 208 per cent, according to pest controllers Rentokil.
Rotting food – as a result of binmen calling less frequently – is one reason, say experts, along with mild winters and last year’s floods.
Call-outs to destroy vermin were up 17 per cent last year.
Doretta Cocks, of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections, said: “There are so many rules about where you can put rubbish nowadays that people are piling it up in their back gardens.
“When people have to have food waste lying around outside their home for more than a week it’s an invitation for rats to feed and multiply.
“But councils won’t accept the problem is down to fortnightly bin collections.
“People are alarmed to see rats running around in daylight. It’s a problem that just isn’t being addressed.
“Councils are reporting a record number of calls for pest controllers but they are so determined to let this ludicrous waste management system continue that they have become blind to the problems it causes.
“I can’t drive around without seeing dead rats everywhere.
“People are right to be concerned about rats running all over the place. They carry lots of diseases and we shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
Experts are warning that the country will be overrun by rodents if something is not done to halt their rapid growth soon.
They agree that the number one cause is the masses of food waste left to rot in household gardens and residential streets.
The blame for this is placed on the demise of weekly bin collections across Britain.
But Rentokil say the fight to exterminate the rats is becoming a difficult one. They report that some areas, including York, have seen a frightening increase over the past year and councils are struggling to cope with the demand for extermination.
Mrs Cocks said: “Water companies are not helping either because they only treat the sewers in rat ‘hot spots’ nowadays instead of having a rigid and consistent rat control programme in place.”
Many councils, including Bristol, have had to employ additional staff to deal with the ever-growing problem.
The disease-ridden rodents are eating so well that many councils are also reporting sightings of larger and more ferocious rats.
In Newcastle, the council said that although it felt it was on top of the rodent problem it had received reports of much “bigger and meaner” rodents on the city’s streets.
Nigel Hails, Newcastle’s director of neighbourhood services, said: “We provide a city-wide service for eradication of rats and believe a thorough app-roach to dealing with them will stop numbers from increasing.”
Tory local government spokesman Eric Pickles said: “Under Labour we have witnessed the slow death of weekly rubbish collections with 225 councils now having them fortnightly.
“There have been numerous independent health warnings about the dangers of collections being slashed.
“Now I fear there is more misery on its way with the imminent arrival of bin taxes.
“They will fuel a surge in fly-tipping, making rich pickings for the exploding rat population.”
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RATS
28.10.08, 7:50pm
Speaking of Guy fawkes , he's the only person ever to enter the houses of parliament with honest intentions . Im fed up with all these RATS who set these fireworks off each year . the man needs celebrating as a hero not a traitor .
lets vote on who we should really burn as the guy ?
• Posted by: kyza • Report Comment
SORRY
28.10.08, 3:48pm
EmperorMing, I forgot those rats that have already left.
Jonocynic
Are you sure the noises you heard were rats and not the council and government appointed rats sent to spy on your every move?
• Posted by: KarlH • Report Comment
WE'VE GOT RATS
28.10.08, 1:27pm
We have rats under the floorboards at work. The pest control people have been putting down poison for the last 2 months which the rats seem to gobble up with gusto. They came to put more poison down this morning and there was the familiar sickly sweet smell of death when they opened the trap door up to renew the bait. Less than an hour later, we could hear more noises from under the floor. The pest control man reckons that this is one of the biggest infestations he's had to deal with recently and that the rats have moved into buildings earlier than previous years.
• Posted by: jonocynic9 • Report Comment
RATS
28.10.08, 12:32pm
Yes most of them in parliament,or have been,Guy fawkes had a go at getting rid of them,we cant seem to get rid of them,the pied piper was to busy,the unions dont seem to remember bubonic plague or wiles disease which in their members interest should be pointed out to the rats in parliament,not just the jobs being lost,you could live without a job as many on benefit can tell you,but not if you caught one of the diseases forementioned,the NHS is already on the floor,and cant afford the treatment for some folks ailments as it is.This is a serious problem for all of us and should be treated so
• Posted by: ravingdave • Report Comment
MORE RATS THAN BRITONS
28.10.08, 12:05pm
WELL SAID KARLH. Couldnt have put it better myself.
Mind you dont forget that one or two of them also left office in the past 18 months or so as well.
• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment
THE PROBLEM IS.......
28.10.08, 11:48am
a lot of the rats are in the house of commons, westminster and in councils up and down the country.
The biggest rats I have ever seen though are in nos 10 and 11 Downing Street.
• Posted by: KarlH • Report Comment
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