St Matthew’s has become rat capital of Preston after 205 complaints of rodent infestations were made last year.

Figures obtained by Blog Preston using a Freedom of Information request show at least one complaint was made every other day in the area.

Veronica Afrin, councillor for St Matthew’s, said: “I have been aware of a rodent problem in the ward for three years. It has absolutely nothing to do with the resident’s hygiene but the problem appears to be insurmountable.

“There are rows of old terraced houses in the area with cavity walls and this is where complaints seem to be most common,” she added.

Elsewhere in the city, Fishwick scored highly with 185 complaints followed by Ribbleton with 163.

Sherwood had the least with just one report.

The numbers also included 551 rodent reports that were classed as ‘unspecified’.

The figures include rat and mouse sightings in businesses as well as in homes.

Research by the National Rodent Survey states problems on a national level are as bad today as they were ten years ago.

Vermin, particularly rats, can spread fatal illnesses like Leptospirosis, more commonly known as Weil’s disease.

The bug can cause mild flu-like symptoms or, in severe cases, multiple organ failure and internal bleeding.

Cllr Afrin thinks the situation in St Matthew’s was aggravated by people leaving food out for birds.“Environmental health is working to find the root cause of the issue and residents are being fully cooperative,” she said.

Rodent complaints – how does your ward compare?

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Image rights belong to Flickr user Matthieu Aubry.