Swindon's problem with 'brave' rats and why people's cars are at risk

Phil Voller of The Pest Controller believes that the issue with rats across the country has worsened since the Covid pandemic which broke out throughout the nation in March 2020.

“I have a theory that when everyone was in lockdown, rats have lost their fear of humans and rats don’t tend to run off,” he said.

“That’s unusual as they have very good hearing but they do not tend to run off anymore suggesting that they are quite brazen nowadays.”

The figures show that there were 81 visits by pest control to Swindon houses in 2020 to deal with rats which dropped to 74 in 2021 and 64 in 2022.

Despite the steady decline demonstrated in these figures, Phil believes they do not tell the real story.

“I think they’re on the increase as they seem to be absolutely everywhere at the moment," he said.

“It’s not like we have to let a governing body know each time we visit a house so there are a lot of dark figures on this.

“Swindon has a rat problem, they are literally everywhere so I am personally surprised by the data as I am busier than I have ever been.”

Rats have been causing problems for members of the public in Swindon throughout this year. (Image: Getty)

Swindon is definitely no stranger to rats with multiple reports of the rodents storming residents’ property over the past few months.

In January a man was horrified to find that rats had eaten his toilet pipe three times in a row and in April a mother was also left worried for her daughter’s safety after a rat chewed through the cables and upholstery in the family car.

Although 56-year-old Phil warned of the rising population of rats in the town as well as the danger they bring, he did want to dispel rumours of the size of the rodents.

The pipes all had bite marks which grew in size with each replacement. (Image: Pratik Rai)

“There are some large ones around in town but I have not seen any that are the size of cats,” he said.

“Rats can get into different places such as cars and this is particularly dangerous as they can chew through the wiring.

“We try and exclude them if they are in the house and proof up any holes but through the sewers is quite a common one.”

Swindon Borough Council was called out to deal with dozens of rodent infestations last year, new figures show.

Freedom of information requests by Direct Line Home Insurance show Swindon Borough Council tackled 64 rodent infestations in 2022 – down from 74 the year before.

It was also down from 81 infestations recorded in 2020.

Ian Andrew, chief executive at the British Pest Control Association, said rodents are a "serious public health pest" with rapid breeding cycles, which means infestations can escalate quickly.

Amanda found that the seat had been chewed through. (Image: Amanda Randall)

"Unfortunately, being unable to afford pest control increases the likelihood of people either ignoring infestations or attempting DIY pest control methods, which can make the issue worse and endanger other people or non-target species," he said.

"Pest management is vital for maintaining the safety, health and wellbeing of people, so it would be great to see something in the UK like the proactive approach New York City are taking, with the appointment of a 'rat tsar'."

In the UK, a total of 225,400 rodent infestations were dealt with in 2022 by the 181 local authorities which provided data, the equivalent of 618 per day.

It's a slight increase from 221,900 infestations the year before and a 12% increase from 201,900 two years prior when the Government's list of key workers during Covid-19 restrictions included pest management professionals.