Derry's riverside rats 'enjoying five star all-inclusive holiday'
Huge numbers of rats are enjoying a "five star all-inclusive holiday" on one of Londonderry's most popular riverfront walkways, a pest control expert has warned.Dozens of rats have been spotted in the last week on Queen's Quay, an area frequently used by families, walkers and cyclists.A number of measures have now been put in place to interrupt the rats' "transit routes", Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) said.Patricia Page, owner of a pest and rodent control business in the north west, said it appeared a large colony had set up home on the quay, adding it is a real "cause for concern".
Footage of the rats first emerged last week. There have been further daily sightings over recent days.DCSDC said they had acted following an escalation in rodent activity in the area.It has "implemented immediate measures to assist local landowners and businesses to address this issue".
Ms Page told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme there would always be rats on the riverfront."If you have food and water and harbourage, you have a perfect storm there for rat activity," she said."They have all their needs, it's like a five star all-inclusive holiday for them, they have even got the sunshine."When you see rats out and about during the day and in those numbers, then I am afraid you have a significant rat infestation."She urged the Derry public and business to play their part in getting rid of the rats.
"A lot of it is to do with us, people leaving food behind. Remove the food and the harbourage and they won't be secure, they will go," she said."It's vital people don't leave any rubbish behind, that businesses' bins are not overfilled."
However the scale of the colony means a controlled riddance programme will most likely be required, she added."They have a right to live, but you do not want to send those rats everywhere. You do not want them to scatter," she said.
The council said site assessments have been carried out by its environmental health team.That investigation determined the rodents had been using the planters as routes to travel from their nesting area to access food sources."The council is taking proactive steps to ensure the swift resolution of this situation, including the removal of some of planters in order to disrupt these pathways," a council spokeswoman added.
Foyle SDLP assembly Mark H Durkan filmed the rats he encountered while out running."I run the quay regularly and have done for years. I have seen the odd little four-legged friend – that is to be expected on the riverfront – but never anything like this," he said."You can't have a rat population like this in an area used so much by the public. I would ask everyone to be careful about what they do with their litter."
'Rat numbers are exploding'
David Greer is a certified field biologist who runs his own pest control business in County Antrim.He told BBC News NI the situation on the riverfront in Derry was playing out in other areas."As a business we can't keep up with demand for our services," he said. "Rat numbers are exploding, their numbers are greater than we have seen for some time. Once it gets out of control, it is very hard to get it back."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rail inspired landscaping plan revealed for MoD hub in Blackpool
Blackpool's railway heritage has inspired new "public art" landscaping designs to be provided as part of a new £45m office block, close to the town's railway was announced on 19 May that construction had begun on the new office building for more than 1,000 Ministry of Defence (MoD) civil move will be at the heart of the Talbot Gateway regeneration scheme in the have now emerged in planning documents that show the designs include a green landscaped area, referred to as a "rain garden", with benches designed with the town's railway heritage in mind. 'Boost sustainability' These proposals will now be considered by the council. Designers Re-form Landsape stated: "The planting will function as a rain garden and will work in harmony with the recolonised railway character."It could include "a reclaimed railway track" where "surface water will be able to run into the planting areas through breaks in the edge" with "simple, robust" seating."Alongside providing positive visual interest to the scheme, the public art will also boost sustainability by providing a sustainable urban drainage system and reusing existing materials," the plans site has lain empty since the Apollo building was demolished in 2014 but is now to get a new lease of new office development represents the fifth phase of the £350m Talbot Gateway development, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.A £100m civil service hub has already been built on Cookson Street for the Department for Work and Pensions. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Skydive to fund domestic violence refuges in the Black Country
The boss of a Birmingham-based IT firm is jumping out of an aircraft to help a local charity build 10 safe houses for families fleeing domestic Bayliss, CEO of Hubtel IT, is doing a skydive in support of Black Country Women's Aid's The Key to a New Life comes after the charity said it was forced to turn away over two thirds of requests for refuge last year, although those people were offered other support. Mr Bayliss, 47, will take to the sky from 14,000 feet at Langar Airfield in Nottingham on 21 June, joined by 10 staff members from the charity and two colleagues from Hubtel - Julian Brettle and Mike Leach. The CEO of Hubtel, which provides cyber-security services for the charity, said: "The terror I feel when I think about doing this is brought into sharp perspective by the reason we're doing it. "Domestic abuse affects so many people, and unlike our skydive, it takes place behind closed doors when no-one else is looking."Black Country Women's Aid's work to highlight it and help victims is critical. Leaping from a plane is the least we can do to support them."Sara Ward, CEO of the charity, said: "When Black Country Women's Aid was first established nearly 40 years ago, it was with a refuge. "Since then, our services have grown to meet local people's needs, but refuge remains at the heart of what we do."These new flats will provide safe and secure spaces from where families can heal together and rebuild their lives." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Anti-social driving a big concern in Bradford
Anti-social car use, including drivers revving their engines or catcalling from their vehicles, is a significant concern for residents in Bradford, police have council is considering plans to extend a public space protection order (PSPO) to clamp down on driver behaviour that causes a nuisance, but is not necessarily order was first introduced by Bradford Council in 2019 and more than 400 motorists have been fined since Supt Richard Padwell from West Yorkshire Police said the anti-social use of vehicles "continues to be one of the most significant concerns for our communities, as is frequently evidenced in community safety meetings and surveys". He said the existing PSPO, which also targets car meets, "significantly contributes to maintaining public safety, reducing anti-social behaviour and ensuring that the communities of Bradford are safe from this type of activity."Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's deputy mayor for policing and crime, said officers found that "anti-social behaviour related to driving disproportionately impacted women and girls".Lowe said she believed the PSPO would "support our targeted work" to tackle issues around women's Council asked the public for its views on the proposed extension earlier this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A total of 942 people responded, of which 97% said anti-social vehicle use was "a big problem" or "a fairly big problem".Most people supported the will discuss the proposed extension at a meeting on Thursday. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
