The size of the rat has been described as ‘shocking’ and there are warnings that rodents are being ‘spotted more and more’
17:04, 03 Aug 2025Updated 17:05, 03 Aug 2025
The councillors issued a warning after a gigantic 22-inch rat was found at a property in Yorkshire(Image: David Taylor and Stephen Martin – Eston Ward Councillors / Facebook)
A warning has been issued after a gigantic 22-inch rat was found at a council property. Many have taken to social media to express their shock after councillors shared a picture of a rat that had been found and caught in a property in their constituency.
The photo shows the rat in a see-through plastic bag, after a pest controller was called to investigate in a property in the Normanby area of North Yorkshire. It is not known how the rat got access to the property.
In a social media post shared by Conservative councillors, David Taylor and Stephen Martin, they described the size of the rat as “shocking” and warned that the rodents were being “spotted more and more” around the area.
The post reads: “This massive rat over 22 inches long from nose to tail was found inside a local home this weekend and this is the image a resident has sent. It’s almost the size of a small cat. And it’s not a one-off.”
The post continues by claiming that rats were becoming a “growing” problem, spotted in alleyways, around bins, overgrown land, “crossing the streets and now inside homes”. Keep rats and mice ‘away’ from your home and garden with four natural household items
Councillor David Taylor (right) and Councillor Stephen Martin (left) of Eston Ward Councillors in North Yorkshire have issued a warning after a 22-inch rodent was found at a property(Image: David Taylor and Stephen Martin – Eston Ward Councillors / Facebook)
The councillors then asked the Labour-run Redcar and Cleveland Council to address the issue, by conducting surveys and plans, funding and joint action in the borough.
Meanwhile, here in Wales, all households have are being encouraged to perform a straightforward check to diminish the chances of rats entering their homes by a pest control expert. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
Cardiff council’s pest control services saw a 10% increase in call-outs to rats last year.
The British Pest Control Association said there were anecdotal reports of rat increases in towns and cities across the UK.
A pest control specialist from Triumph Pest Control, based in Wales, recently advised in a video: “Be proactive about preventing rats getting into your attic space, or anywhere into your property. Believe it or not, now is the time – summertime – to be proactive.” You can read the full story here.
Gareth Davies, from Pest and Property Solutions, told BBC Wales earlier this year that in 36 years of business he had never received so many call-outs to rats.
“We still have a massive rubbish problem, certainly in Cardiff I can speak of,” he said. “People discard rubbish in sort of hedgerows, throw stuff out of cars, part-eaten food.
“There’s rubbish mounted up where the refuse people don’t get to.”
Mr Davies said seagulls and rats attacked bin bags on the streets, creating food sources, and said higher temperatures due to climate change meant rats could now “breed all year round”.