Shops suffer rat nuisance (From News Shopper)

E-editions

Read our printed newspapers online click here »

Your Shopper

Send your news, photos & videos. Text NEWS SHOPPER and your message to 80360 or click here to email us » »

News RSS Feed

Shops suffer rat nuisance

10:08am Thursday 20th March 2008

comment Comments (28) Have your say »

By Matthew Jenkin »

MORE problems with rats in Greenwich have been reported.

Yesterday News Shopper told how a disabled woman in Deptford was bitten by a rat which came up through her toilet while she was sitting on it.

Now businesses in Woolwich have reported problems with rodents.

Building works are believed to have disturbed a colony of rats.

Plumstead Road and General Gordon Square have both seen an increase in the number of rats.

Building works on Love Lane and Plumstead Road began last autumn and have been identified by Greenwich Council as possible causes of the problem.

A spokesman for Woolwich Pets in Plumstead Road said: "The rats are everywhere in Woolwich. It's disgusting and trade has dropped off drastically.

"You can see them mainly at night but also during the day around the fountain in General Gordon Square. They're about eight or nine inches long and there are possibly hundreds of them at night."

A spokesman for Woolwich Express Dry Cleaners, in Woolwich New Road, said: "The biggest rats are up to a foot long and it gives you shivers seeing the size of them. We see rats all day long and we're scared they will come in the business and affect us."

Greenwich Council has been filling in rat holes, laying poison, and warning people against leaving food or rubbish in the area.

A spokesman said: "We have put a number of measures in place to tackle the problem and to remove the opportunities for rats to nest in the area."

Print article » Email to a friend »

Your Say YourShopper

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott, The Bathroom says...
10:39am Thu 20 Mar 08

Seeing as the lady in the lavatory incident escaped to Woolwich to escape the rats, I wonder where she is going to go next.

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

Report this post »

Mick, Walderslade says...
10:40am Thu 20 Mar 08

Im not surprised, I had the mis-fortune to be in Woolwich the other week, what an hell hole chicken and chips/kebab all over the pavement.(not to mention the spit). Obviously the locals have no respect for the environment they live in. The quicker the rats take over Woolwich the better.

Report this post »

Sorry, should know better says...
10:50am Thu 20 Mar 08

Erastus - lets hope she moves to Hamelin! She could go by the name of the Pooh Piper of Hamelin!

I think they solution would be to get some South East London gangsters in....they hate rats...and blabber mouths!!

Report this post »

Jade, N/Fleet says...
11:12am Thu 20 Mar 08

It is probably due to the mild winter and the poor hygiene in the area. We had a large compost heap in the garden and unused bird seed in the shed a couple of years ago and then we got mice! We got a cat and a humane plug-in sonic deterrent and containerised every edible thing in the house and always cleaned up spillages and crumbs immediately. The little blighters came in during the winter leaving their droppings and grass husks around the house. But the cat must have eaten loads of mice or they moved away because after a month or two they just disappeared. Better hygiene, remove all food source and more cats is the answer in my opinion. Oh and we had some spectacular birds of prey visiting the garden during that period, and an American Mink. The mild weather will give rise to more wildlife including insects this year. We've got loads of frogs in the garden right now. And finally more birds too.

Report this post »

stan, Ladywell says...
11:20am Thu 20 Mar 08

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott wrote:
Seeing as the lady in the lavatory incident escaped to Woolwich to escape the rats, I wonder where she is going to go next. Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

M'lud erastus, perhaps if we could own 'firearms' then maybe there wouldn't be a need for this POXY council vermin 2 wait until it gets out of control hey!...At least in that sense could 'eliminate' these pests at random, bearing in mind the scale of the problem -incidentally it's 'man-made'- don't ya reckon would be more 'practicable' form of control?....In the USA the citizens would roam the streets 'hunting' 'em down, i've seen it with my own eyes; that's on top of the pest control putting down bait for 'em, believe me it's a very effective form of PEST control!....Just as an afterthought, about the previous article with the "toilet" incident, that poor rat was probably dying of poisoning anyway due 2 the after-effects!...

Report this post »

robert, dartford says...
11:53am Thu 20 Mar 08

with the high level of wages the top cats of the council get it seems to me they should be put out to grass,and bring in a pied piper(as in folk law).
(if they can collect all there droppings together they can make lots of screw drivers of the RATCHET TYPE)

Report this post »

Lisa, Catford says...
12:49pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott wrote:
Seeing as the lady in the lavatory incident escaped to Woolwich to escape the rats, I wonder where she is going to go next. Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

LOL; Bit like a latter day female Pied Piper;

Report this post »

Charlton, SE7 says...
2:49pm Thu 20 Mar 08

I think that this is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed promptly by the council. I have recently seen rats in my garden and in the street where I live. In this day and age the council should have no excuse for lack and lazy pest control. It is disgusting and totally unacceptable that they informed the woman who had a rat in her toilet to wait for 3 weeks.

Report this post »

mt, says...
3:02pm Thu 20 Mar 08

robert wrote:
with the high level of wages the top cats of the council get it seems to me they should be put out to grass,and bring in a pied piper(as in folk law). (if they can collect all there droppings together they can make lots of screw drivers of the RATCHET TYPE)

surely the "top cats" will catch the rats Robert....

Report this post »

The real Me, Here says...
3:47pm Thu 20 Mar 08

"Theres a rat in the kitchen what am me gonna do?"

Love the real me

****

Report this post »

J, Here says...
4:02pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Building works are believed to have disturbed a colony of rats

So, man ruins their home, now man doesn't like that they roam, man will kill them.

Sounds just about right for the barbaric attitude taken by so many.

Report this post »

The real Me, Here says...
4:58pm Thu 20 Mar 08

J comes on newshopper website. J writes yet another stupid email. The real Me thinks "what a berk that J is"

****

Report this post »

mwah, dartford says...
5:05pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Oh Nooooo. That smell again and it is vile.

Report this post »

J, Here says...
5:30pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Ah, The real Me, you were singin' a different song not that long ago.

You agree with killing innocent animals? Someone carelessly ruined their home, and now that they're visible, they must be killed?

Report this post »

Molls, says...
7:27pm Thu 20 Mar 08

People should ask the council if the poison they have put down is harmful to their family pets. I am being serious here! If they use warfarin (blood thinner) to kill the rats then that will also kill other animals and it's a terrible death for them - bleed to death.
I expect these rats were quite happy until the council came along and wrecked their environment.

Report this post »

The Grim Reaper, Everywhere says...
8:37pm Thu 20 Mar 08

If only all the saddos would stop feeding my feline friends then they would deal with matter. Feeding moggies on last week's racehouse or yesterday's greyhound merely makes the little blighters fat. Felines are killers and they should be allowed to get on with it and regain their dignity. After they have dealt with the rats they could start on the councillors, or eco-plonkers.

Report this post »

RAT CATCHER, welling says...
8:46pm Thu 20 Mar 08

I cant believe people stick up for these vermin. They carry several deseases harmful to man inc strains of salmonella that you would never associate with them. If you want them to breed out of control and come in your houses and play in your gardens where your young kids play then carry on protecting them. There was a 20% increase in the rat population in london this year alone.

Report this post »

molls, says...
9:08pm Thu 20 Mar 08

If you think you have a rat infestation, simple, call the local council or a private company. Costs about £50-£70. If you're on low income etc. might not have to pay anything.
Also, make sure you bag up your rubbish properly, don't leave food about. Think about how much food rubbish is left just thrown on the streets, no wonder rats, foxes, pidgeons etc. all come and eat it, what do people expect.
It's not exactly the animals fault is it, they are just doing what wild animals do - looking for food.

Report this post »

wendy, abbey wood says...
9:13pm Thu 20 Mar 08

i was in woolwich working the other week, when i see someone throwing food down for the birds, and there is notices around the green, saying please do not feed the birds, so what do you expect, so all the time you have people doing this, you are going to have vermin.

Report this post »

mwah, dartford says...
11:17pm Thu 20 Mar 08

The smell is getting even worse... I hope dartford has its baracades up!!

Report this post »

C, Grove Park says...
7:46am Fri 21 Mar 08

Mice and rats are on the increase because all the sewer systems etc were sold privately to a German company who thinks it is a waste of budget to bait the sewers unlike the old English company who did.

Report this post »

Linda, Blackheath says...
10:00am Fri 21 Mar 08

C wrote:
Mice and rats are on the increase because all the sewer systems etc were sold privately to a German company who thinks it is a waste of budget to bait the sewers unlike the old English company who did.

If what C from Grove Park has said (about the German firm not doing their job properly) then they eed reporting to your local MPs. I will be writing to mine.

Report this post »

C, Grove Park says...
6:03pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Unfortunately what i said is true. If you were to phone a local or any pest control company i would be 99.9% sure that they would confirm this. Rats and mice are on the increase everywhere and before privitisation is was managable (just) and now the situation is getting way beyond control. The other pest on the increase for completely different reasons is Bed Bugs, but i wont go there!!!!!

Report this post »

Jade, N/Fleet says...
6:32pm Fri 21 Mar 08

When mice and rats are eradicated in built up areas where there is a good food source, (like the back of fast food outlets, restaurants etc.), cockroaches usually ensue. Yuk! With the warmer climate I expect insects to be on the rise too.

Report this post »

Marty, Kent says...
6:40pm Fri 21 Mar 08

rats are attracted to uglyness and looking at greenwich people, it is safe to say they keep coming

Report this post »

goodlooking greenwich lass, greenwich says...
6:17pm Sat 22 Mar 08

righty O moleface Marty nice try but seems specs savers is calling you :0) Even the tourists come to visit Greenwich to see all the fantastic history and us beautiful Greenwich people.

Report this post »

N, HORSMANDEN says...
6:38pm Sat 22 Mar 08

Marty wrote:
rats are attracted to uglyness and looking at greenwich people, it is safe to say they keep coming

I HAVENT GOT A CLUE WOT YOUR TALKING ABOUT I BOUGHT MY HOUSE HERE IN KENT 10 YEARS AGO I USED TO LIVE AT HARDY COTTAGES IN GREENWICH SINCE IV LIVED IN KENT THE ONLY PEOPLE I HAVE MET ARE POLISH, SMUGGLERS,TINKERS,AN
D CARROT MUNCHERS.

Report this post »

N, says...
10:05am Wed 26 Mar 08

doesnt surprise all them immigrants dont no how to clean up properly and chuck all there rubbish everywhere! it had to be said!

Report this post »

Your sayYourShopper

comment Add your comment

Register for a FREE News Shopper account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.

Please register now or sign in below to continue.