Rats overrunning Glasgow streets and disrupting bin collections
Residents of Earl Street are struggling to keep the rodents away from bins
Last updated 7th Sep 2023
Residents in Scotstoun have been forced to move their bins onto the street after rats made it difficult for them to be emptied.
People living on Earl Street are struggling with the rodents, which appear to be living in the bank behind the buildings.
The recent removal of recycling bins from the area has also meant the amount of rubbish being disposed of in the same bins is higher, with some overflowing and adding to the issue.
The council advised residents to move the bins, in the hope keeping them on the street on the other side of the buildings from the embankment would reduce the number of rats getting into them, and how often bin men would encounter rodents.
It comes as Westminster Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt raises concerns about the rise in rat infestations and the reappearance of “Victorian diseases” in some Scottish cities.
Her comments were in response to SNP Commons leader Deidre Brock, who questioned the frequency of Ms Mordaunt's visits to Scotland, humorously noting: "Two visits in one year, it must be a record for a Tory minister".
She added: “The Leader of the House called me delusional when I pointed out to her previously Scotland's faster economic growth, lower unemployment and lower rates of child poverty than the rest of the UK, when I told her that not a single day in the Scottish NHS has been lost to industrial dispute, and that we have the best paid teachers in the UK.
"So can I ask her the next time she comes back from a day trip to Scotland, can we have a debate on what she learned from us?"
Ms Mordaunt spoke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last month, and responded that she was “shocked” by what she had learned during a “very pleasant” trip to Scotland.
She said: "I did learn that Scotland has slower economic growth than England.
"I was shocked to learn that Victorian diseases have actually returned to certain cities in Scotland such as rickets.
"That Glasgow's rat problem is now so bad, it is precluding binmen actually accessing certain streets because it's too dangerous for them.”
"Grotesque"
She finished: “The grotesque chaos and appalling public services her constituents are suffering from and the rest of the Scottish people are entirely down to the SNP alone.
"They are now a sad, spent force and no longer the UK separatist party.
"That dubious honour now goes to the Labour Party in Wales."
Glasgow City Council
A spokesman for the council said: “We have been working with the local housing association to address this problem.
“As part of health and safety procedures, staff are expected to report infestations so our public health team can intervene with pest control treatments and other measures to deal with any underlying issues.
“We do not send our bin collection staff into areas of known infestation.
“On Earl Street a number of bin courts were kept in poor condition, which has attracted rats in search of food .
“Work has been undertaken to keep them in good order, but unfortunately waste continues to be disposed of inappropriately.
“Extensive bait has been laid down by our pest control team and we urge residents to use the bins temporarily stationed on the street to help maximise the effectiveness of the pest control treatments.
“We will continue to monitor this situation closely and bins will be returned to the back court area once the pest issue has been properly dealt with.”