The giant rodents are feasting on leftover food and other waste as an estimated 17,000 tonnes of rubbish remains uncollected on the streets of crisis-hit Birmingham
Monster rats the size of baby monkeys are invading the streets of Birmingham amid the ongoing bin strikes.
Pest controllers say the rodents can be seen “on a daily basis” scurrying among the mountains of uncollected waste dumped by the roadside. William Timms, boss of WJ Pest Solutions, revealed he caught a 22-inch rat – the same size as a ferret, some monkeys or a small dog – last week. Other pest controllers across Birmingham say they have seen business double since the strikes began. William claimed police had even been called out to shoot rats due to the sheer volume of vermin plaguing the city.
He said: “The issue is getting out of control. There are bags piled 5ft high and 10-15ft across. Rats the size of kittens are being seen daily.
Birmingham bin strike: Rats seen roaming freely as waste piles up in hot weather
“I had one last week that measured over 22in in length. Rats are gaining access to cars, minibuses, peoples homes and schools. People are adding to the issue by fly-tipping furniture on top of the rubbish. As a born and bred Brummie I feel disgusting how the city looks.
“It’s a dreadful time for the people of Birmingham. On my street alone we have bins that haven’t been collected, with black sacks starting to pile up. I had a day off for the first time in two months as my wife and body were telling me it’s time for a break.”
Stuart Howes, boss of Greenlab Pest Control, said they were getting 30-50 per cent more call outs. “Rats are certainly gaining size due the on-going supply of food that has been left on the doorsteps,” he said.
Sharon Nicol, director of Birmingham Pest Control Ltd, said rats are getting “very plump”. “They have plenty of food and shelter,” she added. “It’s a big problem.”
An estimated 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected across the UK’s second city. Birmingham City Council declared a major incident on Monday, saying the move was taken in response to public health concerns.
The all-out strike started on March 11, but waste collections have been disrupted since January. Members of the Unite union went out on strike in a dispute over the role of waste recycling and collection officer (WRCO) being removed.
The union claims the move will leave about 150 members £8,000 worse off. Unite says the dispute will not end unless the “hugely damaging” cuts to bin collectors’ wages are reversed.
The council said it scrapped the WRCO role to put the city’s waste operations in line with national practice. It says only 17 members of staff will lose a maximum amount of just over £6,000 in pay.
