Rats multiplying just yards from a children's playground
RATS are breeding at a dangerous rate just yards from a popular playground, according to exterminators.
Pest controller Sam Wakeman, 25, said he was shocked to see Pittville Park "crawling" with rodents.
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CONCERNED: Andy Beddoes, director of AB Complete Pest Control, at Pittville Park, where rats have been spotted
He was taking his 10-month-old son Harvey for a stroll when he noticed a handful of brown Norway rats near a shrub next to the play area.
"The number of rats down there is absolutely horrific," he said. "If you go down to the swing area, there are rats running around the shrubs.
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"If people are seeing them during the day it proves their numbers are so great, and they're so confident, that there's a serious problem.
"I'm not happy to let Harvey play there until the problem is sorted out.
"If he caught Weil's disease it could kill him."
The infection, thought to kill two or three people a year in Britain, is caught through contact with infected animal urine, mainly from rodents, cattle or pigs, generally in contaminated water.
Cheltenham Borough Council, which maintains the park, says it will be taking action to deal with the problem.
Mr Wakeman, who lives in Prestbury and works as a technician for AB Complete Pest Control, said the numbers of rats increased closer to the lake.
"We went up to feed the ducks around the lake and we saw about half a dozen of them, some juveniles and some adults, which means they are breeding.
"They are just going to keep multiplying.
"Just in case it was a one-off, I went down the next day with my Jack Russell and it was identical.
"They must have quite a network within the park and they weren't really spooked when you came close.
"They are confident. I was very shocked."
Andy Beddoes, director of AB Complete Pest Control, said the situation might have got out of hand because no one had reported sightings to the borough council.
"The council are quite capable of keeping things under control, but if no one reports it then they don't know," he said.
"Because there's water around there, I'm 99 per cent sure they will be carrying Weil's disease and there's also a good chance of E.coli being there. It's a top priority."
Yvonne Hope, the borough's public and environmental health manager, said: ''We have a number of permanent bait points in the park, but because of the amount of food that is fed to the ducks and birds, controlling the rat population in this area is a challenge.
"We have asked for the shrubbery to be cleared to enable us to get to the stations to bait and we will make sure that this does happen. We will also look into the possibility of more frequent baiting."
OPINION, P8
Comments
by smithygirl
Thursday, June 30 2011, 3:55PM
“If you read the story it says that the council do the Pest Control in the park. It also says that they are quite capable of sorting even a big rat problem so why question whether someone else is after the contract? Funny how there is always someone negative!! The council will sort the rats as they will be using professional stuff not the mickey mouse stuff we can buy from the supermarket.”
by Kay_Powell
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 3:54PM
“leah301 is absolutely right. I would also point out that there is no chance of exterminating them by baiting while there is other food that they can eat. People might not like the idea, but shooting with an air rifle is quicker, cleaner and safer than trying to poison these rats.”
by LewBrush
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 2:14PM
“You are never more than fifteen feet from a rat, and some of them have four legs...”
by leah301
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 1:39PM
“The gentleman says that the problem has gotten worse as noone has reported tis to the council before. I have. And a few people I know have. I was told by the council there will always be rats where people eat food/ feed ducks , which is true. As long as there's food, there's rats.”
by verysceptical
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 12:34PM
“Said a man from a local pest control company...”
by he_devil
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 10:47AM
“I wonder if AB Pest control are after the Pittville Park contract?????”
by Aquilae
Wednesday, June 29 2011, 9:29AM
“Do they know long division too?”