GLASGOW’S residents are being plagued by terrorised by the city’s rat problem – with some sightings of “rodents the size of CATS”.
The bin workers’ union wants authorities to declare a “rat emergency” amid the desperate situation.
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The GMB Union say giant vermin are making it impossible for refuse and cleansing staff to do their jobs.
Union members say they have been receiving emergency treatment after bites and scratches.
Recent reports say rats are being seen there the size of cats – or small dogs.
The GMB Union now wants Glasgow City Council to declare a “vermin emergency”, STV News reports.
One worker told STV they have been instructed to “kick bins” before opening them – to check for rats.
He said: “It just keeps getting worse, and now you’re seeing rats the size of cats because there’s plenty of food for them to eat.
“It’s unacceptable.”
Chris Mitchell from GMB Union said there is a “rat pandemic”.
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He told STV: “It’s just getting worse and worse. It’s cuts in pest control, cuts in statuary services.”
Last November the union boss warned the rat scourge has become a “daily occurrence” for the city’s cleansing crews, which has ended up harming their mental health.
Glasgow City Council has been inundated with over 10,000 complaints about rodent infestations.
We previously told how city officials witnessed a 31 per cent rise in rat reports in 2022.
Council staff have even been hit by the issue, with almost 400 sightings of rats inside the local authority’s buildings.
The widespread vermin problem has become so bad that public health chiefs warned current pest control measures may be “unable to contain” the infestation.
‘Rats are getting bigger, bolder and more brazen’, warns pest control expert
RATS are becoming “bigger, bolder, and more brazen”, according to an experienced rodent-catcher and ex-Lance Bombardier.
Increased food waste and a more relaxed approach to pest control has emboldened the pests and seen them grow to lengths of 22 inches, he claims.
Pest controller Kieran Sampler, 29, a dad from Wakefield, West Yorkshire has caught 50,000 rodents throughout his career.
Most of the rats he catches these days are 18 inches in length, he said, although the largest he ever caught was 22 inches head to tail.
Kieran warned: “Rats are getting bigger, bolder and more brazen.
“They’re less bothered about humans, cats, or anything.”
Having studied the behaviour of rats for seven years, Kieran said he knows rats to be devious and clever creatures.
The rat-catcher believes they have grown emboldened since the pandemic, as pest control eased during lockdowns and there is now more food on the streets for them to feed off.
Kieran said: “Rats are used to detect mines in Cambodia, they’re very smart animals.”
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One street has even become a no-go area for some refuse collectors – with some areas overrun by vermin reportedly the size of CHIHUAHUAS.
One local mum told how she caught one trying to climb in through her bathroom window despite spending thousands of pounds on preventative methods.
And she says she will never let her kids play in the garden because of the issue.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
We previously revealed how Glasgow retirement homes have been terrorised by the disease-carrying rodents.
Residents in the city’s Springburn area claimed the city council and housing factor are not doing enough to prevent the spread of the vermin.
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