BRITS have been warned of “horrendous” rat infestations this winter as 20-inch rodents are set to invade homes.
Experts urged the UK to brace for an influx of giant pests, and told how the issue has been “getting worse” for years.
Kieran Sampler, founder of the Yorkshire Rat Pack, revealed how 19-inch rats are now “standard”.
It comes after a 22-inch rat , believed to be the biggest recorded in Britain, was discovered at a house in Redcar and Cleveland earlier this month.
He told the Telegraph : “It is going to be a bad winter for rats, and people don’t realise – it is going to be horrendous.
“Over the years, it has been getting worse. The rats are getting a lot bigger.
“We are catching up to 22-inch rats, 19-inch rats are now standard – they are like a chihuahua.”
And, the expert warned they expect the rodents to grow up to 25-inches.
He dubbed the nightmare ordeal “beyond a joke”, and told how the worst infestations are usually located on farms, warehouses, and homes constructed in the late 20th century.
Mr Sampler said crumbling cast iron pipes are allowing the rodents to make their way inside.
The rat catcher also revealed his crew previously needed three or four workers per job, each taking two dogs, but now up to 15 people are required.
The expert explained how more waste, food production, and communal bin areas are leading to the growing issue.
The “go live” date of April 2026 aims to help provide some solutions, with a national mandate for all local authorities in England to offer weekly household bin collections.
But Cllr Paul Salvin, representing the Normanby Ward as the deputy group leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, warned residents must store their food waste correctly or face more problems.
He added how water companies must do more to make sure rats aren’t able to enter homes and businesses through the sewer system.
It is estimated that there could be around 250 million rats in the UK.
They present a major problem as they can pose as a serious health hazard, and also breed rapidly, so need to be dealt with as soon as they are detected.
Among the diseases carried by rats are leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever.
They can be spread through contact with rat urine, droppings, bites, or through contaminated food and water.
It comes after residents expressed their horror when the monster 22-inch rat was found in Redcar and Cleveland just weeks ago.
While it is unknown how it accessed the property, it is believed that it was nesting somewhere in the home.
Conservative Party councillors, David Taylor and Stephen Martin, criticised the Labour-run council, calling for a full vermin study to be carried out across the borough.
David Taylor wrote: “It’s almost the size of a small cat. And it’s not a one-off.
“The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get. We need action – not just advice.”
In the post, Mr Taylor also addressed the issue of overflowing bins in the Eston and Whale Hill area.
He explained that shops and takeaways dump items in them, providing “easy food” for rodents.
In response, dozens of locals chimed in to express their concern.
One wrote: “We can not even use our back door to put rubbish out it’s that bad with rats – two just left dead in the street to rot – when did we become such a scruffy rundown place?”
Others called out the council, claiming that they report the issue of rubbish and food being left out on the street, but “nothing gets done.”
Another even claimed she saw a rat the size of her Jack Russel drinking from a puddle.
According to the MailOnline, rats are known to grow to a large size when there is an ongoing abundant supply of food.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, residents claimed to fear pests the size of cats as mountains of rubbish continued to pile in the streets.
It came amid the bin worker’s strike, which started early this year.
Overflowing bins caused utter carnage, and cabbie Abid Hussain said: “The garbage is piling up, the vermin are coming out. It is disgusting!
“The city is filthy, it stinks. It is a health issue and the situation will only get worse.”
The driver of 32 years slammed authorities for allowing Britain’s second biggest city to “go to the rats.”
Abid, speaking exclusively to The Sun, sighed: “It should never have come to this. People are terrified to come out.
“No one wants to see rats scurrying around all the un-emptied bins and the rubbish dumped in streets, alleyways and gardens.
“It is a terrible advert for the city where I have worked for more than three decades. I am a barometer for Birmingham and this is the worst it gets.”
And, Steven Owens, who is homeless, living in hostels in the city centre, said: “I’m on the streets and I’ve seen rats the size of cats. It’s quite scary.”
The jobless IT analyst, 40, said: “They scurry around everywhere with all the dumped rubbish, the rats are running riot.”
Keep rats from your house & garden with £3.99 item
By Allan Glen
A PEST control expert has revealed a simple way to keep rodents away from homes and gardens – and all it takes is a quick shake and sprinkle.
With rat season about to begin, the advice arrives just in time.
The easy – and humane – method is unveiled in a social media post just weeks before cool weather arrives in the UK.
That is the end of the breeding season for rodents and signals their arrival around homes and in gardens .
This is when the little blighters are at their most active as they search for food and shelter ahead of winter
If hungry they will take more risks such as raiding bird tables and bins.
And they don’t move in at night – they often seek food during the day, particularly if other rats are congregating in the same garden or porch.
But fear not, help is at hand – literally.
In a video posted to his Facebook account , Ceith Griffith unveiled a simple and effective way to keep rats from the door.
“It’s that time of year again, guys … mice and rats are going to try and get inside your home but I’m going to show you how to keep them out by repelling them,” he said in the video, which has received more than 2,500 likes.
Ceith goes on to explain how attaching a spray nozzle to a vinegar, apple vinegar or pine salt bottle can turn into the ultimate repellent.
“Pine salt works the best but I know a lot of people are allergic to it,” he said. “Just take the spray and point it at your porch and anywhere you don’t want the rats to come near.
“You can use this around your garage or even inside your garage … and it’s going to keep all the mice and rats from coming around your home, or garage or RV.”
