Residents of a northern town that cut bin collections a year ago are suffering a plague of cat-sized rats stuffing themselves silly on rubbish, growing to almost two feet long.
Rat catcher Jaime Lawrence, of Exopest Ltd, reckons residents in Middlesbrough and the neighbouring Redcar and Cleveland council area of North Yorkshire are suffering thanks to historical council cutbacks.
Packs of up to 60 rodents have infested some properties, he told the Daily Mail, with some found swimming in toilet bowls.
A rat in a neighbouring area was found measuring 22 inches last week - and locals are finding decomposing rodent bodies in their estates.
The Labour-run council suspended its domestic pest control service in 2018 as it ran short of cash, and last year cut bin collections from weekly to fortnightly while seeking to avoid effectively declaring bankruptcy.
