01 November 2023 , 12:25
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Giant rats 'the size of cats' are startling visitors at a park as council bosses have been urged to tackle the vermin problem.
The huge animals are taking over at Gosforth Central Park, in Newcastle and has led ex-Labour councillor Simon Bird to raised concerns. He posted on X, formerly Twitter, to say he had "seen similar size cats". He posted: "Massive rats are taking over Gosforth Central Park... Not even scared of people. Several old folk v startled today almost having to step over them."
Gosforth Lib Dem councillor Colin Ferguson called for action from Newcastle City Council and Urban Green Newcastle, who manage the city's green spaces. He said: "We most recently raised this issue in August, and were promised pest control measures would be introduced. This has been a saga running for years, with neither the council nor Urban Green taking responsibility, so we were initially pleased that we might finally see progress. "Frustratingly, the brazen behaviour of the increasingly fearless rats is ruining the experience of the park for families and local residents. Current measures don't appear to be effective."
A Urban Green Newcastle spokeswoman said: "Members of the public have made us aware of the current rat problem in Gosforth Central Park. In response, we arranged for Newcastle City Council to visit the site so they can develop a plan to address the situation. Going forward, pest control will remain part of our service agreement with Newcastle City Council so it can be regularly monitored. We'd urge park visitors to please use the bins on site when disposing of any litter, and if the bins are full, please take any litter home and dispose of it there."
The large rats were spotted in Newcastle (Newcastle Chronicle)A Newcastle City Council spokesman told Chronicle Live: "Like in all major cities, rats are unfortunately a part of life and we understand it can be distressing for people seeing them in their communities. In parks managed by Urban Green Newcastle, such as Gosforth Central Park, we identify potential sources of rats in the area and take appropriate action where necessary when requested to do so. Our dedicated team of qualified pest control technicians provide an expert, cost effective service to tackle rats when they are reported to us."
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The council has previously been criticised for charging residents £84 for a callout to deal with a rat infestation.
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