Cat-sized rat found in UK home is part of larger issue
Rats have been seen in alleyways, around bins, on overgrown land, inside homes, and sometimes, even crossing the street, the representatives wrote online.
In another post, the pair called the animal the "Normanby rat."
USA TODAY has reached out to Taylor and Martin more information.
Push for government to fund pest control, clean up community
Taylor and Martin said the council for their area, Redcar & Cleveland Council, no longer handles domestic rat infestations. They offer advice, the pair said, but residents have to pay privately to handle pest control issues such as rats.
"As your local councillors, we're calling on the Council administration to take this seriously, the people on the ground who do work extremely hard but we need this all round the borough," they wrote.
The two also pushed for a full vermin survey and treatment plan across the borough, funding to handle the infestations, and collaborations among businesses, landlords, and affordable housing providers.
"We make no apologies for acting on behalf of residents," they wrote. "As your Eston and Normanby councillors, we raised the alarm because people were genuinely concerned."
'Time to get rid of the RATS'
According to the councillors, there was a meeting with the council's vermin control officer, who said social housing providers and the water board will get together to create an action plan. Social housing providers have also said they'd reintroduce pest control across the homes and land under their jurisdiction.
The councillors said while it's not the local government's fault that the rats are there, the government has failed to cut grass, address litter problems, and has failed to properly fund street maintenance.
"Finally, a genuine thank you to the hardworking, overstretched staff on the ground, who continue to do their best under difficult circumstances," Martin and Taylor wrote. "Time to get rid of the RATS."
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia - the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
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BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Barnsley parks and green spaces to benefit from £2.1m government grant
Parks and other green spaces in Barnsley are to benefit from £2.1m in government of the borough's 21 wards will receive a share of the cash to improve play equipment, lighting, paths, signs, bins and money comes from the local government finance settlement announced in December, which gave the council additional one-off to identify improvement sites began in June, and works are expected to be completed by March 2026 subject to the council's executive agreeing to accept the funding at a meeting on 13 August. James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and highways, said investing in parks and green spaces was more than just "improving the look" of the area."It's about supporting the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of our residents."Our parks play a crucial role in protecting our environment by providing natural habitats for wildlife and open spaces where people can relax, socialise and exercise to help improve their wellbeing."The council said the upgrades would support its Active in Barnsley strategy, encouraging residents to get moving and make use of outdoor spaces, according to the Local Democracy Reporting of the work will also align with a separate £900,000 programme funded by Sport England, aimed at breaking down barriers to physical of Barnsley's six Area Councils have also already received £25,000 for community projects under the Love Where You Live new parks funding is expected to complement these local efforts and help deliver visible the initial investment covers the capital works, ongoing maintenance of the upgraded parks will be covered by the council's existing parks budget. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Edinburgh Live
10 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
The forgotten Edinburgh scheme where 'proud' locals say they feel 'abandoned'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Proud residents of an Edinburgh scheme have complained of being 'forgotten and abandoned' as their community is left in a state of degradation. Clovenstone locals spoke to Edinburgh Live to express their love for their community, with warm words for their neighbours, but they called on Edinburgh Council to step in and prevent the area becoming tired and worn down. Litter and items strewn across streets, overgrown green areas, a lack of youth spaces and burned out vehicles are all issues plaguing the community, according to residents. Exploring the community, we bumped into a gran and a mother playing with their children at a back green on Clovenstone Park, both of them had spent their entire lives in the local area. Karen Shore, 49, who works as a pupil support officer at a local primary, shared fond memories of growing up in Clovenstone. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. 'I've lived in every part of Clovenstone and I'd never leave,' she said 'It was an amazing place to grow up, everyone looked out for each other. It is a great community. 'But there have been massive changes. I'd say the area used to be well respected because we all knew each other and took pride in the community. But over the years it has gone downhill. 'It is dirtier. There are not many bins around the place and a massive problem with littering. When my kids came home they would have litter in their pockets because they were raised like that. 'Flytipping is everywhere and when someone puts it up on Facebook, you will see a comment 'oh it is Wester Hailes, what do you expect?' It puts the area down. 'People rate it to be poor but it is not until you come to live here that you know what the community is about. No matter where you are you get daft people. 'Areas run by Prospect (housing association) are well looked after but there is a feeling the council do not do enough. People feel let down by them, buildings look really tired and areas are overgrown, it could do with getting tidied up but the council always moan about the budget. 'It makes you feel really down seeing how tired everything looks. If something is nice, and the area looks good, you feel pride. We are a disadvantaged area and we do need a bit of help. During my time working in the youth sector I've seen money cut but there is always cash for the wrong things like trams.' Her daughter Michaela Shore, 26, shared her pride in growing up in Clovenstone but she did not echo her mother's opinion of wanting to remain in the area for the rest of her life. 'I'm looking to buy at the moment but I probably would never buy here,' the Royal Edinburgh Hospital employee said. 'There is nothing for the kids, the parks haven't changed from when I was younger, and some of them have been taken away to stop antisocial behaviour. 'I've nothing against the area but the loss of things for kids to do is noticeable. I'd like to see the area tidied up and more accessible parks, there are a lot of families with disabilities, and there is nothing for kids in wheelchairs.' Anne Davidson, 45, who works as a receptionist and has lived in Clovenstone for the best part of 20 years, also called for more support while praising her neighbours sense of community. The Barn Park Crescent resident pointed out many locals are experiencing poverty while others struggle with mobility - making it difficult to maintain overgrown public greenspaces. 'People are disadvantaged and many have multiple health problems which mean they struggle with gardening and keeping on top of things,' she said while pointing to her own overgrown back green which was littered with fly tipped items. 'I think the council should be giving more support, there are kids in these stairs who could benefit from the spaces. 'We feel forgotten. That is what it is in Edinburgh, if you are not touched by tourism then you are forgotten, and Wester Hailes is not the only place. 'Folk have given up with outside spaces because it has become so bad. I know it is not a good mindset but it is where people are, what is the point? 'You see down Harvesters Way - there is a wee corner of communal ground, and a wee garden bit outside the stairs and it is gorgeous. People are keeping it nice. It goes to show if there is a bit of investment, people will look after their area. 'If the council sorts it, then we will be able to maintain it.' Anne added she moved to the area from Balgreen and enjoyed her time here but added her family have grown tired of the lack of support given to the community. 'My son went to local primary school and never had any bother up here and we have liked it,' she added. 'The place just needs help. It is so run down but I've nothing bad to say about the people. 'There is a real sense of community here. My son went to the local school, went to the community centre where he went camping with them when I was a single mum. It is a community. 'Years ago when my son was small we came out of a shop across the road there and this person came over, drunk, and tried to push us and grab my son, but people who did not even know us rushed over and helped. 'Even if people don't know each other, they will still help. It hurts me when people think it is a bad place, it isn't, there are a lot of good people here. 'I think it is because it looks so bad when driving past, people think it is shabby. It is pretty sad.' Michelle Hamilton, 51, is a hairdresser by trade and moved to the area from Carrick Knowe seven years ago. She told Edinburgh Live she loves the area but there does seem to be a divide in the cleanliness of areas depending on whether Prospect Housing Association or the council look after the space. 'It is really quiet, I love the area,' she said. 'I just sit with my book on my balcony on my days off. 'It is not what I expected it to be before I moved here as there was a perception of Clovenstone. But it is really nice and my neighbours are lovely. 'I would say I'm in a nice bit next to the up and coming area but you do notice the Prospect areas seem better looked after than the council.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Local SNP councillor Neil Gardiner said: "There is a strong community in Clovenstone. With councillor Fiona Glasgow who lives locally, we have been working alongside local people to re-establish the Wester Hailes Community Council. "I'd encourage anyone with ideas for the area to speak to us or come along to the community council, bringing forward suggestions. Council services need to be focused on local needs. "Although in opposition, we want to make local services a focus of the current administration." Edinburgh council were approached for comment.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Our street is overrun by army of foxes & rotting mounds of rubbish but it's NOT our fault – new rules will make it worse
RESIDENTS living on a swanky London road have slammed the council for "lazy" binmen who they claim leave their street in a state. Those living on Albemarle Road in Beckenham, South London, claim their postcode is regularly littered with piles of rubbish which attract "an army of foxes". 10 10 10 The residents have had enough and have hit out at the local council with a long list of their bin collection gripes. Their complaints range from carefully separated rubbish being mixed together by binmen, to food waste left to rot in the road and bins being left blocking driveways and car parks. Dozens of locals say they have phoned the council or reported their issues online - but are baffled to see it continue. But dspite workers coming to resolve issues relatively quickly, residents say they have to complain about one thing or another almost every week. They also say they are forced to deal with a raft of bin rules imposed by Bromley Council. And with tougher refuse measures to be rolled out across England next year, they fear matters will only get worse. If rubbish is mixed together, put in the wrong bin or in extreme cases, residents use the wrong bin bags, refuse workers will refuse to collect their rubbish. One resident, Sheila Bryan, who has lived in her flat on the street for 32 years, told The Sun: 'What happens is some of the residents put stuff in the wrong bins and we got told it's contaminated and they won't remove them. 'We have to deal with it if they don't take it. 'The paper one there's bits flying about, if people put food waste not in composted bags they won't take it. 'Very rarely do they put them back, they just leave them around, some of them do it quite happily. Monster '22-INCH' rat 'as big as a cat' is found in UK home - as locals warned more could be on the loose 'They leave them right in the middle [of the car park]. "Look at Birmingham, I don't know how they're coping.' Birmingham has seen months of bin strikes this year, with rubbish piling up on streets across the city as huge rats seen scurrying around the area. Residents in Beckenham now fear if they complain too much about the council's service their binmen will strike too, leaving them in the lurch. It means they are left with overflowing bins, covered in flies, in their car parks and driveways. One local said the mess had gotten so bad that it was attracting "an army of foxes" and described living on the road among the wild animals as "like something out of a horror film, like something out of I Am Legend." Sheila, meanwhile, has had to deal with "nasty flies" around her food bin after it was left with moulding waste in it, she has complained to the council on several occasions with the authority rushing to clear it up. She says that if she is the only one to complain the council only clear the bins from her block and ignore the block next door despite the two sharing the same communal bin area. She has had to coordinate her calls with a neighbour to have all of the uncollected bins dealt with rather than just hers. 10 Daniel Davis, who has lived on the road for 35 years, coordinates with Sheila and calls the council at the same time as a show of force. He said: 'It used to be great and then I don't know what happened, I kept phoning up and phoning up. "No one ever cleans them that's the problem. They never put the bins back where they get them. 'Sometimes when they collect these bottle bins they leave them in the middle of the car park, they've only got to walk like five meters, what's the point? It's just laziness. 'They might go on strike. Like Birmingham." Daniel described the collections as "haphazard" but said it had gotten better in recent weeks after he and Sheila put in several phone calls. He theorised that "maybe someone has given them a b******ing." He claims the mess left behind by the binmen after a collection had gotten so bad that the local fox population now came out in the afternoon to scavenge on the leftovers. "The foxes drive us mad, every night you get about a dozen come out here, they're coming out early afternoon now." Daniel added: 'There's been a hell of a lot problems with the bins on this road. One other resident further down Albemarle Road said things were worse for him. The man, who asked not to be named, said: "Some of them [binmen] are great some of them are awful. 'They leave the bins out in the road, they're supposed to take them back." When asked if binmen had been mixing his carefully separated rubbish, he said: "Of course they have, the little bins the food bins the recycling, I've seen them throw stuff on the floor. If there's one thing wrong they won't take them. 'They just sling stuff in the road, we're paying them to do a job, they should do it. 'They take away stuff when they don't have to, they're emptying one bin into another.' Another resident who asked to remain anonymous claims she managed to catch one worker mixing her brown bin with her general waste. She added that she and her neighbours have had to pay in the past for rubbish to be collected after the binmen refused to take it. She slammed the council for allowing them to leave their mess behind. The resident told The Sun: "If there was a problem in the past there have been times when they've not taken the bins away. "Residents then have to pay for bins to be collected because binmen haven't taken away rubbish." Residents of the block of flats have to pay through the council for the rubbish to be removed if the binmen decide not to clear it, this is despite them spending their time separating out food waste, general waste, soft plastic and hard plastic. When The Sun visited Albemarle Road we saw bins of dozens of different shapes, sizes and colours all for different types of rubbish. Residents don't see a point in separating out their waste if council workers mix it up in the back of the lorry. One resident said: "The food waste and cardboard dumping has been happening a long time, and it's just getting out of control. "There's been all those stories about how everyone recycles their plastic but it all ends up in the same place anyway, it really does defeat the purpose of recycling. "I thought it was some random person, either a resident or someone that was fly tipping, there's been so much weird stuff that's been going on." 10 10 One local, Dee Hetherington, 70, who is the director of her block of flats has had to call in assistance from neighbours more than once after large, heavy metal bins were left in her driveway. She is sure the rubbish all gets mixed up in the end and claims she has seen binmen dumping it all into a bigger container. Dee has to deal with the council regularly as the director of her building and finds herself reporting missed collections all the time. She said: "My main gripe is the big metal bins are left in the middle of the driveway. "I spoke to the waste people and they said it would take five days to move them which was nonsense. I just found that mad. 'They sometimes don't collect the bins but one of my gripes is the food waste. 'I just wish they'd put the bins back, I'm not a 'bin putter backer.' I think they empty into a bigger thing, I'm sure it gets mixed up. 'If they don't collect I say 'the bin has not been collected', sometimes they say what was in there wasn't collectable which is nonsense. "If they don't do it one week we can last till the next fortnight." The Sun has contacted Bromley Council for comment. It comes as the government aim to introduce a new bin collection strategy. It includes a new weekly separate collection for food waste from households, which will be implemented in 2026. The new strategy hopes to reduce the amount of waste produced and streamline with rates of recycling from different local authorities. Research showed that around 135,000 tonnes of domestic rubbish has been sent for incineration each year, two thirds of which could be recycled. It has also been found that a significant amount (32.75% total) of waste found in household bins is actually food waste. The new changes are due to come into effect on April 1 next year. 10 10
