Invasion of the rats: Coventry pest control called out 1,600 times already this year

Rat catchers have been called out almost 1,600 times in Coventry so far this year.

Coventrys pest control experts received 1,596 calls to remove rats from homes and streets in the first nine months of 2014, latest figures show.

Thats more than in the whole of last year - and one reason could be the milder winters.

The worst rat hot-spots are in the north of the city - with areas such as Foleshill and Longford having the most call outs.

People in the CV6 postcode area have already made around 614 calls for rat removals this year - an increase of 136 applications since 2013.

Phil Hibberd, Pest Control and Animal Welfare Manager for Coventry City Council, said: There is no one factor that has contributed to the increase in the number of rats and the number of call outs we receive. Its a combination of factors.

In some areas of the city, the sewer systems are very old and unfortunately they would cost too much to replace at present.

Milder winters contribute to numbers staying high. The cold isnt killing the rats which allows them to carry on breeding.

Overgrown gardens and litter on the streets also creates a ready food supply for them.

If people dont inform us as soon as they come across pests, then they are given an opportunity to breed, which again increases the number of pests.

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Invasion of the rats: Coventry pest control called out 1,600 times already this year