Rats the size of cats plague Gloucester gran
An animal lover who was asked to stop feeding birds in her garden for fear of attracting rodents said she is being plagued by rats "the size of cats".
Grandmother Ann Bell, of Brookthorpe Close, Tuffley, took the decision to stop feeding her feathered friends after environmental health experts warned it would attract rats from a nearby railway embankment.
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Rodent rage: Ann Bell, of Tuffley, is terrified of large rats that continue to visit her garden.
But Mrs Bell, 60, claimed the infestation has continued to get into her garden and she has seen little help from Network Rail.
She said: "These huge rats are still coming into my garden. I saw one the other day, and it was the size of a small cat.
"I stopped feeding my birds to try to stop them, but they're still coming in and dying in my garden after being poisoned."
Mrs Bell appeared in The Citizen earlier this year after Gloucester City Council officers recommended she stop feeding the birds from a table in her gardenShe said she has reported the matter to various organisations, including CGT Lettings, which manages the neighbouring rented house, but it had not been resolved.
A spokesman for the city council said: "We have visited Mrs Bell and offered pest control, which has been refused, and we have also visited neighbouring properties and put in pest control."
A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: "We have removed the vegetation on the embankment, which should make a difference.
"We have offered to help get rid of the rats, but this help was declined. We'll continue to monitor the situation closely."
The Citizen approached CGT Lettings, but they declined to comment.
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by Ann Bell, Tuffley Gloucester
Sunday, November 29 2009, 11:21AM
“RE RATS. NETWORK RAIL TOLD ME THEY HAD CUT BACK THE FOLLAGE AND WOULD BAIT IT, SO I WOULD HAVE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS, THE HAVE CUT BACK A TINY AMMOUNT BEHIND MY GARDEN AND LEFT THE WREST,AND I CAN NOW SEE RATS RUNING DOWN THE EMBANKMENT ,INTO MY GARDEN AND ON MY PATEO DAY AND NIGHT. SO MUCH FOR THEM SORTING MY PROBLEM.”
by mickey rat, chelt
Thursday, November 26 2009, 12:04PM
“where on the stair right there in ann's garden !!!!!!”
by ann bell re rats, tuffley
Thursday, November 26 2009, 11:43AM
“I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR NETWORK RAIL SINCE LAST JUNE AND ONLY CAME OUT THE MORNING AFTER I SPOKE WITH THE CITIZEN. THEN THEY ONLY CLEARED A TINY PATCH BEHIND MY GARDEN. I HAVE A TINY DOG THAT IS NOT WELL ENOUGH TO GO FOR WALKS SO HAS TO USE GARDEN AND IF HE GOT IN CONTACT WITH THE POISON HE COULD DIE . THE RATS ARE COMING THROUGH LARGE HOLES FROM NEXT DOOR AND HAVE TOLD THE ENVIROMENTAL THIS. I FEED SONG BIRDS AND HAVE NEVER EVER HAD THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I MOVED AND NOW HAVE A RAILWAY EMBANKMENT LIKE A JUNGLE AT THE BACK OF MY GARDEN. SO THANKS TO THOSE SYMPATHETIC COMMENTS”
by Peter, Cheltenham
Thursday, November 26 2009, 8:30AM
“"Jelp 74 Longlevens" ; Super Rats are so called because they are becoming immune to rat poisons and has nothing to do with size. Pest control officers who report rats 22 inches long are as prone to exageration as anyone else ; a big Rat in this country is unlikely to be much more than 16 inches and that is likely to be a pet Rat. I used to keep pet Rats as they make wonderful pets and I did have a couple which were very big and grew to 15 inches but I have never seen a wild Rat anywhere near as big.”
by Papa Ratzi, Tuffley
Wednesday, November 25 2009, 3:41PM
“Thank you Mrs Bell for letting us stay in your garden.
However we are not liking the new bird food you are feeding us.
Can we please have the three loaves of bread that you used to leave out for us on a DAILY BASIS !
Thanks
Roland at & Errol The Hamster”