A RESIDENT says his neighbourhood has become a “breeding ground for rats” due to dumped rubbish.

Joe Duffy, who lives in Hadden Close, off Holt Lane in Whiston, says the area has been plagued by rodents over the past couple of years.

Joe said: “We have had sightings of rats in the area which used to be a nice area, (recently) one walked across my garden, it was the size of a cat

Joe said he believes the infestation is being caused by rubbish being dumped near properties in the area.

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He said some of the properties “are a total mess” and there are “old cars parked on the gardens”.

Joe, 75, added that some have gardens “filled with rubbish” and have become “a total breeding ground for these rats”.

He said: “I contacted Knowsley Council and spoke to someone and asked them to come and have a look at the mess, but after two years I am still waiting for a reply”.

A Knowsley Council Spokesperson said: “We work with partners, residents, businesses, and landlords to tackle any incident of rat infestations in the Borough. This includes sewer baiting, pest control, identifying issues that may be contributing to the problems, offering advice about prevention and carrying out action days in areas identified as potential hot spots.

“The area in question is not one of those identified as having a particular issue and we have not had a significant number of requests for support from residents in this area. However we will look into this report and would encourage all residents to report any issues they have with rats. You can contact our Pest Control team at www.knowsley.gov.uk or our Environmental Health Team on (0151)-443 4712 or by emailing environmentalhealth@knowsley.gov.uk.”