'Disturbing images' as decomposing rats spotted in Daubhill

A local man has found decomposing rats along the backstreets of Daubhill, Bolton.

The man, who didn’t want to be named, took photos of the rats on Saturday, March 26.

He said: “For sometime I have witnessed rodents along the back streets and disturbing images of decomposing rats along the Dean and Daubhill areas.”

The man said he had contacted his local MP about the “hideous" problem.

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi contacted the council on his behalf, when he contacted her recently.

She told The Bolton News: "He was told to contact pest control."

Ms Qureshi also said there was an issue of some people not disposing of rubbish properly at a block of flats in the area.

She met with residents twice and council officer twice about the issue.

The man who took the photographs added that people visiting nearby takeaways and restaurants are “using the streets as dustbins and skips.”

And he contacted The Bolton News in desperation to get something done about the infestation.

He told The Bolton News: "I am aware the council cannot be fully held accountable as local and outside residents visiting Deane Road and Derby street/St Helens roads restaurants and takeaways need to take responsibilty and direct action by disposing their food waste appropriately rather than using the streets as dustbin and skips. Unfortunately this is ignored causing the rodent population to flourish." 

Rumworth Cllr Shamim Abdullah echoed the man's sentiment, as a resident herself: "It's disheartening seeing people chucking rubbish out of windows."

However, she stated that if rats are in the street, then there is no charge to call pest control, but that it still costs £40 for local residencies and over £100 for businesses.

One of the rats

Cllr Ismail Ibrahim said there was a "reluctance to ring in about pests" but also stressed that if rats are on the highways, there is no charge for ringing pest control.

Both councillors cited Rumworth's relative population density as a contributing reason to the infestation.

The council’s website states: “Our fully qualified pest control staff provide a service for all domestic or business premises throughout the borough on request.”

There have been rat issues in Bolton regularly in the last few years, with numerous cases of them being spotted.

A pest controller has previously told The Bolton News that rats across the borough are ‘breeding well’ following a surge in callouts.

Andy Hetherington has been tackling pests for nearly 20 years and currently runs Pestrap, which works in Bolton, Bury, and other surrounding areas.

He said that he has noticed an increase in the amount of callouts for rat problems he deals with.

Rats have been known to chew through concrete and other tough materials, and an adult rat can fit through a round hole of 25mm diameter.

Nationally the population of rats in the UK is on the rise and is currently estimated to be around 150 million, the highest number ever.