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<\/p>\nA UK town has been plagued by horrifyingly huge rats which have a hunger for the bins dotted around the high street.<\/p>\n
Burnley town centre is now fighting back against its infestation, with "rats the size of cats" spotted lingering around the bins, feasting away on "banquets" in the overflowing receptacles, LancashireLive reported.<\/p>\n
Open bins do appear to be a major cause of concern for those in the area, with Jimmy Pilling, a man who owns several properties, complaining about the infestation. <\/p>\n
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Pilling spoke of concern for those who own property in the city centre, saying the rats who can "climb 20 foot" are scurrying into the "banquet" bins. He also recalled a horrifying encounter between a pest controller and a rat the "size of a cat."<\/p>\n
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Appearing at a town hall meeting, Mr Pilling said: "I am here tonight to speak to you about the large infestation of rats in Burnley centre. For the past nine months myself and the tenants of York Street have been battling furiously to try and get rid of them.<\/p>\n
"We haven\u2019t succeeded yet. One of the main things is that the main food bar on Manchester Road, Ellis\u2019s, has always got the bins open, wide open. A rat can climb 20 foot so it\u2019s easy for them to get in the bin. It\u2019s a banquet for them. They\u2019re in the flats on Ormerod Street.<\/p>\n
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"They got a pest controller in there four weeks ago and he opened a cupboard and there is a large rat there. When I say large rat I mean the size of a cat. He shot it. I have spent with the tenants on York Street \u00a31,500 this year alone trying to get rid of them. We\u2019re not getting any help from the council whatsoever."<\/p>\n
A council statement from Lubna Khan, the environment boss heading up the improvements to York Street, suggested a "one-off cleanse" had been carried out but infestations on private land was not the responsibility of the council.<\/p>\n
Restaurateur Kyle Ellis addressed concerns and said he will ask staff to keep bins closed from now on.<\/p>\n
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Mr Ellis added: "I am aware of the issue. The problem is a shared back alley where the bins are kept. I recently spent a fortune getting it pest proofed. I am in regular discussions with the council and doing my best to keep on top of this. If the bins are occasionally being left open I will speak to my staff and clamp down on it."<\/p>\n
Liberal Democrat group leader councillor Gordon Birtwistle said: "This council has the legal powers and really should be leaning on this restaurant. It is ridiculous they are getting away with this."<\/p>\n
Conservative councillor Don Whitaker labelled the trouble in the street "absolutely ludicrous", adding: "I find it absolutely ludicrous that that these vermin are running about and we don\u2019t seem to be doing anything about it."<\/p>\n
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