2ft rat caught in UK

[Messa]

A HUGE rat is held in pincers after being caught in a factory, increasing fears giant rodents are spreading across Britain.
The fat, 2ft-long animal is only slightly smaller than the 30in beast pictured in yesterday's Sun.


It was one of two massive rats killed by pest control firm Rentokil called to the Lincoln plant after the pair were seen stalking the grounds at night.

It is believed they had been feasting on food from a nearby farm.


Rentokil spokesman Malcolm Padley said: "They were both around 2ft and it's fair to say our technicians were very surprised at the size. It goes to show that where there's a food source, these rodents will grow big."


The Sun told yesterday how the 30in creature, dubbed Ratzilla, was shot by "ratter" Brandon Goddard, 31, on pest-plagued Ravenscliffe estate in Bradford, West Yorks.

The story prompted hundreds of Sun readers from all over Britain to tell us of their encounters with whopping vermin.

Reg Wilson, 78, of South Harrow, West London, said: "I've got the council coming around. I'm worried these jumbo rodents will hurt a child." Jewellery designer Frank Hunt, 28, told of a huge black rodent on a verge near Purfleet, Essex. And delivery driver John Barrow, 42, of Hayes, West London, has become so scared of packs of giant rats he will not get out of his lorry at night.

Pest control officers visited the Bradford estate yesterday, assuring locals they will investigate if any more "Ratzillas" are seen. Neighbourhood wardens were also seen in the area.



Some experts believe the rodents are South American coypus that survived a nationwide cull 20 years ago.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday revealed there had been 11 possible sightings of coypus in Britain in the past decade, though they were "inconclusive".

But Leeds businessman Steve Luya, 55, who lived in Nigeria for years, insisted our picture showed an African Greater Cane Rat that had escaped after being imported.

A pair of rats can produce 3,000 offspring a year. The rodents are known to carry 40 diseases including plague.

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Read more: Gnaws II: Giant rat caught in Lincoln | The Sun |News

 

[sargie]

My dad has a shoot syndicate and you often see fecking huge rats like this have done for years. We saw one when i was a kid and it was like a friging cat. A 12 bore soon put a stop to it though.

 

[Evastar]

Scary stuff. I remember reading the James Herbert Books, The Rats and the follow up books, been terrified of rats ever since, and that's normal sized ones

 

[hackmax]

Scary stuff. I remember reading the James Herbert Books, The Rats and the follow up books, been terrified of rats ever since, and that's normal sized ones

And I'v got a huge pet rat .... wanna play with that ?

 

[Evastar]

that'd be a no thanks max, you can play with it yourself

 

[hackmax]

that'd be a no thanks max, you can play with it yourself

So you don't wanna stroke my rat and comment on how big it is?

 

[Evastar]

Tell you what, post a pic and i'll see if i like the look of it or not

 

[hackmax]

Tell you what, post a pic and i'll see if i like the look of it or not

Ok here he is.

 

[TheCheekyMonkey]

Scary stuff. I remember reading the James Herbert Books, The Rats and the follow up books, been terrified of rats ever since, and that's normal sized ones

domain is one of the best books ive ever read, superb.

we used to go ratting years back, under the bridge across from our house, rats under there as big as cats, this is nothing new , but that it a bloody big rat though.

 

[Evastar]

Ok here he is.

you seem to have developed quite a passion for small furry animals lately, you thinking of opening a pet shop? :err:

@TCM, yeah they were good books, still creeped me out though!

 

[pinkhelmets]

I remember my kids were playing on my parents farm years back when they were little. We looked over and my ma said "look at them feeding the rabbits" which was unusual because the wild rabbits never came close. As I looked I realised they were huge rats! They were seriously the size of a rabbit, or a kitten size. Mad to see them so big... and come to think of it now my ma lost 9 cats in 5 years, so I wonder if thats what the vermin eat?

 

[Napster]

Tell you what, post a pic and i'll see if i like the look of it or not

Ok here he is.

you seem to have developed quite a passion for small furry animals lately, you thinking of opening a pet shop? :err:

@TCM, yeah they were good books, still creeped me out though!

i dont think thats what he was on about, but as usual hackmax bottles out

 

[Evastar]

hmm what makes you think he usually bottles out?

 

[chronoman]

I was listening to five live the other night and an expert was saying it wasnt a rat but a member of the rat family introduced some yrs ago.
He also said they were vegetarian but i cant remember the name of them.
they were introduced and then kulled but obviously think one or 2 survived

 

[Evastar]

I was listening to five live the other night and an expert was saying it wasnt a rat but a member of the rat family introduced some yrs ago.
He also said they were vegetarian but i cant remember the name of them.
they were introduced and then kulled but obviously think one or 2 survived

yeah but if they mated with ordinary rats they mightn't be vegetarian any longer.

 

[Audball]

We used to have 2 rats as pets, one had to be destroyed, as it went wild, bit me on the chin. lol.

I think these mutant rats are freaky though, do you think they would eat moaning children? lol

 

[snp-g]

never know til you try.

 

[stevie1ball]

I used to breed rats at school and had 2 as pets, they were very clever intelligent animals.
I think i would draw the line at them growing to this size though something weird is happening in this world what with the weather and now giant rats dread to think what's next.

 

[Manse]

I worked on a sewage plant when i left school, Rats at that place were fecking huge when they stood on their back legs in fields of shite chewing on a carrot they looked massive.