Britain’s rats ballooning as grasping rodents gorge on fatbergs in nation’s sewers

Britain’s rats are ballooning into “super” rodents after feasting on fatbergs in sewers.

Pest controllers and politicians have said the problem is so bad in the capital that London needs its own “rat tsar”. They want to follow New York City’s lead by hiring its own pest ‘pied piper’ to tackle the growing invasion of super rats.

There are fears the capital risks becoming overwhelmed with giant vermin, which will then potentially spread to other parts of the country.

READ MORE: ‘Rats the size of cats’ square up to bin workers who are ‘bitten and scratched’

The calls come following the appointment in New York of a rat tsar to tackle the city’s “public enemy number one”.

Former primary school teacher Kathleen Corradi was announced as the first-ever citywide director of rodent mitigation in April.

Lib Dem Rob Blackie, a mayoral candidate, is one politician who has called for a similar policy in London.

He said: “It is something that’s coming up more and more often when I have been canvassing, particularly in areas like Southwark. Housing associations are often unaccountable and there is red tape about who owns land and who is responsible.

“Someone centrally who has responsibility for the awful problem and can stop estates being overwhelmed seems sensible. I’m happy to be against rats.”

Speaking before the election today (Thursday, May 2), a spokesman for Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall said she would give responsibility for rat eradication to one of her deputy mayors if she was successful.

It follows a growing number of reports about rodents in London, with recent viral footage showing a huge swarm of rats bursting out from under bins in Tower Hamlets with similar problems reported in swanky Mayfair.

Leonardos Halley, who lives in central London, said: “These are the super rats, they look like cats – they are that big.
“They climb through drain pipes onto the roof and from there go into houses. We put down poison but nothing seems to help.”

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