Village sees huge rat infestation

The council has sent out advice leaflets

A waterlogged field in a coastal village in East Yorkshire is being blamed for a huge rat infestation.

Swarms of rodents have been seen by residents on roads in Flamborough over the past six months.

Steve Crowther, from Flamborough Parish Council, said: "Where you saw just a few in the beginning, now there seems to be thousands of the things."

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said officers had laid down poison and urged private landowners to do the same.

The council said the rats were feeding mainly in a waterlogged farmer's field and so were not swallowing the poisoned bait that had been laid down for them.

It was like a big brown mass Steve Crowther

Mr Crowther added: "A friend of mine had been down the fields and he came back with his car and there were at least two or three hundred in the middle of the road.

"It was just like a big brown mass and as soon as the headlights hit them, they just darted everywhere."

Sally Burns, the council's head of protection, said: "The farmer cut the crop later last year and unfortunately was unable to plough in the stubble, so what we've had is a very nice food source for the rats.

"They've been feeding on this food source and we've now got a huge infestation."

The council said leaflets had been sent out to residents informing them what it was doing to tackle the problem.

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