Giant rats invade housing estate and terrify kids on school run

A GIANT rat infestation is terrifying children who are walking to school with the rodents plaguing the entire estate.

Syed Gillani has regularly spotted the infestation of rats “scurrying across the road" and sneaking around in residents' gardens.

The Uber driver has lived in Lenton, Nottinghamshire, for four years and claims that it has been getting worse.

He claims that both the local residents and the council are to blame for the infestation of giant rodents.

Mr Gillani told Nottinghamshire Live: "There are quite a lot of them and they are big. It is not very nice.

"In a day you can see a rat like 10 times. Kids see them when they are walking to school as they cross the street.

"We've had them in our back garden. It is a concern for everyone but we don't know what to do.

"It is scaring the kids as they walk to school. They are big and it is not nice."

He added that residents also need to keep the streets they live on tidy and that  Nottingham City Council has a responsibility to clean up.

Mr Gillani added that many residents leave bags of rubbish next to their bins on the streets, which he thinks could be attracting the rats.

He added: "When we moved in the council was talking to the tenants saying do not dump stuff.

"People are not thinking. They are responsible as well, not just the council."

Nottingham's rat population has soared by 25 per cent in the past year, as rodents migrate from commercial areas to residential streets.

Pest controllers say the first lockdown in 2020 allowed rats to breed more readily, creating infestations.

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, who represents the area where the estate is located, said: "It is an issue that is mainly related to the bins.

"It is a serious concern. The biggest problem we have is Government cuts to have officers on the ground to help these things.

"Our teams are under pressure. Lots of stuff is happening but we need more money for resources.

"It is not just Syed, there are a number of residents concerned about rats. One of the main issues is the bins and we are doing all we can to address the issue.

"New students come every year so it is hard work to explain every year when it is bin day."

The council has urged people to remove or securely store food sources, clear overgrown vegetation and rubbish from gardens, and repair holes in walls, missing drain covers and other defects to deter rat infestations.

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