A local Page Moss said he couldn’t even leave his doors open in case a rat came in (Image: Getty Images)
Huge rats are “invading” an area of Merseyside and are leaving the locals too terrified to sit in their own gardens.
Residents of Page Moss, Knowsley County, say more needs to be done to control the flow of rodents through their streets and homes.
The council says it has to charge locals for pest control services due to government funding cuts.
But at £ 35 per visit, the local authority says it is still cheaper to take the rat man than anywhere else.
He said that work is being done to address the problem, but that it has been maintained for years with few signs of improvement.
A local woman says the size of the rats makes her feel “sick” and that “she can’t even let the dog out in case she goes after it.”
She said her “skin was crawling” while a “cat-sized” rat ran from the shed, to the bins and back again while she and her husband sat in the garden.
Knowsley Council says that after more than a decade of austerity, it cannot afford to provide rat extermination services for free (Image: John Lord)
The frustrated local told the Liverpool Echo: “They’re everywhere, it’s horrible. It makes me not want to sit. And not just that we can’t have the doors open in case someone runs out at home.
“The council needs to take action. But it also needs to make sure people keep the gardens clean and the council should review their residents.
“People are not helping save the rubbish, but something should be done to prevent it instead of asking people to pay.”
The woman says the rats ate her and her husband’s first shed and she has even seen them gnawing on concrete and leaving “big holes”.
A Knowsley Council spokesman said: “Despite these best efforts, we are aware that there are still some parties who do not follow the council’s advice and continue to allow covered or poorly maintained areas to provide shelter to rodents.
More: Animals
“This is causing problems for the neighborhood as a whole. We are working proactively to address this as a priority and these efforts with partners, residents and businesses will continue.
“During a decade of government austerity, the Council lost about half of its funding and can no longer afford to provide pest control treatments for mice and rats for free.
“It’s not uncommon for local authorities to charge for this service, and the rate charged in Knowsley is well below the rate charged by commercial companies and represents good value for money.
“The Council is not legally obliged to directly offer a pest control service, whether free or paid. The legal responsibility for pest control lies with the owner and occupant of the premises or land on which they are located.”
Contact our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check out our news page.