Normanby rat could be a record-breaker

THE discovery of a huge rat could be a sign of things to come unless action is taken to stem the burgeoning rodent population, councillors have warned.

- By STUART ARNOLD Local democracy reporter

The potentially record-breaking rat in UK terms - said to measure approximately 22 inches long from nose to tail - was discovered recently in a property in Normanby by a pest controller who had been called to investigate.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told the dead mammal - a photograph of which has been shared on social media - had been nesting in the home.

It has been likened to a “sewer rat” and, while it is unknown how it accessed the property, rats had been reported in the area in back alleys nearby.

In a Facebook post, Eston ward councillors David Taylor and Stephen Martin called on Redcar and Cleveland Council to get a grip of the problem, working with other agencies.