Seaside town residents left ‘living in terror’ after being invaded by ‘monster rats as big as cats’

Residents of a seaside town live ‘in fear’ after being invaded by ‘monster rats’ the size of cats.

Locals in Tenby, southwest Wales, are concerned that the rodents are damaging the cliffs along the picturesque coastline with their graves.

Roger Miles, a skipper in the area, claimed the problem has become more serious in recent months, saying: ‘Early evenings, dusk, early morning, rats everywhere, basically.

“There’s a certain area where you see parts of the cliffs at Castle Hill have eroded.”

According to the Subwaya female rat usually has six litters per year, each consisting of up to 12 rat pups.

Residents are concerned that the rodents are damaging the cliffs along the picturesque coastline with their graves

Tenby is known as a quiet and picturesque seaside town

Since rats reach sexual maturity four or five weeks after birth, a population of two in a year could lead to as many as 1,250, with the potential to grow even more.

Another resident, Derek Brown, told the BBC: ‘It’s the structural damage they can do to the rock face that is the main concern.’

The city’s mayor, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, said the council is “taking action” by helping to set up dozens of bait stations to remove the rodents.

However, one resident told The Sun: ‘You just can’t kill them faster than they can reproduce. Once they’re here, they’ll stay here.’

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire Council told the BBC it is ‘aware of rodent issues’ and is working to address the problem.

Roger Miles (pictured), a skipper in the area, said the problem has become more serious in recent months, adding: ‘Early evenings, dusk, early morning, rats everywhere basically’

A population of two rats can grow to as many as 1,250 in a year, with the potential to grow even more

The municipality ‘takes action’ by helping to set up dozens of bait boxes to chase away the rats

A female rat usually has six litters per year, each consisting of up to 12 rat pups. [File image]

Meanwhile, the council has urged the public not to feed birds or drop food.

Ms Skyrme-Blackhall told the Guardian: ‘There are members of the public who feed the birds, who feed the rats. They think they’re nice, but it doesn’t help the case at all.’

He added that people are not responsible and are not disposing of their waste properly by putting food in their general waste, meaning the rats find it.

“The problem is being eradicated at this point. Yes, there have been issues, but nothing about the volume there has been,” he said.

MailOnline has contacted Pembrokeshire Council for further comment.