ENVIRONMENTAL Health officers have been called out more than 4000 times across Glasgow in just six months to deal with reports of rats.

The explosion in the creatures across the city can be revealed today through a document leaked to the Glasgow Times.

It shows that every council area has been visited at least 50 times to tackle reports of rats.

The report provides a detailed breakdown across the 23 council wards which span the city – with three of these sparking more than 300 sightings that were deemed worthy of sending specialist teams.

The worse affected part of Glasgow since the turn of the year is East Centre, which has been visited 323 times. This was followed by Canal with 312 and Southside Central with 303.

Another nine wards have each prompted more than 200 callouts. The worst of these is Baillieston with 273, followed by Shettleston with 258 and Greater Pollok with 242 visits. Notable others on the list are Springburn and Robroyston with 213, Govan with 216 and Garscadden with 203.

Labour councillor Robert Mooney, whose Canal ward is the second worst on the list, believes the decision to stop cutting grass for elderly and disabled people across Glasgow has been one of the major contributing factors.

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He said: “These results are truly shocking and for the first time properly highlights that this is not just a problem in the city centre and a few surrounding areas, it is a massive issue right across Glasgow.

“You would not typically expect the area I represent to be somewhere that there would be this type of prevalence of rats, but the figures don’t lie. Since January 1, pest control officers have visited the Canal ward 312 times, which will horrify people living around here.

“Obviously we have had a lot of wet weather, followed by very hot spells, and this will bring vermin out, but when you see how widespread the problem is, it is clearly a deeper issue.”

The document shows that only two of the city’s 23 council wards have been visited by Environmental Health less than 100 times in the last six months. These are Linn with 57 and Partick East/Kelvindale with 91.

Wards which have had teams sent between 100 and 200 times include Maryhill with 131, Cardonald with 157 and Dennistoun with 175.

Councillor Mooney added: “Previously the council took responsibility for a lot of [maintenance] work, but that has gradually been cut back or farmed out to housing associations. It is my understanding that around 13,000 properties have been impacted by this, and as a result, we are seeing more areas that are unkept and overgrown. We have also seen changes to bin collections that mean refuse and waste is lying out longer to be collected, so in turn, these places become a haven for rats.

“We need to look at just how big a problem this is now and realise the potential that exists for it to become an even bigger one if we don’t act. Vermin reproduce at an alarming rate, so this is an issue that we need to get on top of now before it spirals completely out of control.”

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East Centre Labour councillor Ann Jenkins said: “Susan Aitken’s plan to spruce up the city is clearly inaction. It’s a sorry state of affairs when the only thing thriving in the city is the rats.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said the issue of tackling rats and other pests remains one of the local authority’s top priorities.

They said: “Issues with pest control are being experienced across the UK and it is widely understood that rats became more visible in residential areas during the Covid lockdowns as they went in search of food.

“We monitor closely the reports received by our pest control team and we are working hard on how we can best address the circumstances reflected in these recent figures.

“There are many factors that can influence a rat population but ultimately rats will thrive in places where there is easy access to food and a place to nest.

“Residents, owners and factors therefore have a vital role in restricting the presence of rodents in and around their property. Keeping outdoor areas tidy and well maintained will help to prevent rodents from nesting while ensuring food waste is properly contained will also deter rodents, both indoors and outdoors.

“The council runs a pest control service and it is always open to householders to approach a private contractor.”