SIXTY giant rats spotted scurrying around Newcastle streets

Officials are investigating fears giant RATS are taking over Newcastle – after a plague of sixty were seen scurrying down the street.

Shocking video taken by two revellers shows large rodents running along a popular area of the city on Saturday evening.

There are also claims the rats could be the same giant ginger species recently spotted sixty miles away in Hawick, Scotland – which were feared to be moving south.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYrAHRI_NB4

Marc Donaghey, 22, and his girlfriend Brooke, 21, captured the horrifying footage of the rats taking over a single street in Newcastle.

Their video shows around 20 – but they say in total there were at least 50 or 60 rats running around the street in the darkness.

Marc said: “We walked around the corner and we saw dozens of rats.  You only see a few on the video but when we first went around the corner there were about 50 or 60.

“I’ve seen rats a few months ago and now I’ve seen them again, and there seem to be more and more. They were all over the bins and then running down the road.

“There were a few other people walking past so I’d shout ‘watch!’ and then they saw them. They were disgusted.

“They were at the very end. I used to go to Chinatown but I don’t think I’ll be going there any more.”

The video shows rats scuttling over the cobbles of a back lane and onto a nearby stretch of grass squeaking loudly.

The giant rodents, with thick ginger fur, are feared to be the same as the beasts spotted in Hawick, Scotland, less than a week ago.

Numerous sightings were being reported to the council on a daily basis and are believed to have ginger fur as freed domestic rats have been breeding with wild Scottish rats.

Businessman Colin Easton, who works on Lochpark Industrial Estate, where dozens of rats have been seen, said the council were no getting rid of them.

He said: “I’ve seen loads of rats, dozens at a time – it’s a real worry. I’ve seen white ones as well as ginger ones.

“Someone from the council has been up but I’m not sure what stage they are at.”

A local pest controller in Scotland, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that he had been killing rodents on the site for months.

But he added that it was becoming increasingly difficult to exterminate the creatures due to fear of killing other animals.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesman say they are monitoring the rats there.

Newcastle Council Environmental and Public Protection Manager, Edwin Foster, blamed traders.

He said: “This problem highlights the necessity of our recent campaign to change people’s behaviour to stop them littering and leaving bins full and overflowing.

“Littering and poor refuse storage attract vermin. Traders have a legal responsibility to make sure they store and dispose of their refuse correctly.

“Pest control officers have been treating this area and will continue to do so, but people must understand the rats are there because people are leaving rubbish for the rats to feed on.

“Environmental health staff will visit the food premises in the area and ensure that traders are storing and disposing of their refuse properly and have proper pest contracts in place to keep their land free of vermin.

“We hope that these images deter traders and the public from dropping litter and failing to store their refuse properly.

“Anyone with problems caused by rodents should report them to the council’s Envirocall on 2787878.”