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.

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.