'The rats are having a party!': Glasgow in the middle of vermin 'epidemic' with pests spreading disease across city, union warns

The population of rats in the city has also soared over the last five years, with a 45 per cent rise in the number of rodents reported to local authorities.

Speaking to GB News, GMB union convener for refuse and cleaning in the city said that the “rats are having one big massive party” whilst everyone else is “suffering” for it.

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“We should be declaring an emergency, both because of the sheer volume of waste and also the rat epidemic,” he told the People’s Channel.

“It’s getting worse, there is no doubt about it”

“During Covid, when the restaurants all shut, the rats started looking for food elsewhere. They started going into communities.

“They’re getting bigger and they’re being seen more commonly,” he stressed.

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Mitchell, who has worked in the waste sector for 33 years, said it is common to see a rat every once in a while in his line of work. “Now,” he said, “you’re seeing them everyday.”

And the public is now seeing them more frequently too. Mitchell said: “They’ve got them in their houses, they’ve got them in the cavities of their walls, they’ve got them in the lofts”.

He added: “This is a serious health and safety issue. Somebody is going to be seriously hurt and nothing is done to combat this situation.”

Mitchell believes the increase could be due to the cutting of bin collection frequency. He also said pest control and Scottish Water, who work together to inspect the sewers for infestations, have seen massive cuts.

“The rats are having one big massive party in Glasgow, and the rest of us are suffering because of it.”

Next year, the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. Mitchell said the games will be a “chance to show the world the best” of the city.

However, he warned: “We’ll be coming first if one of the events is a rat race”, if nothing is done to tidy up the streets.

According to data obtained by an FOI from Glasgow Live, rat populations have spiked from 6,180 to 8,959 from 2019 to 2023.

The same request also revealed that the NHS has had to deal with over 100 patients who have required treatment from rat attacks.

Glasgow City Council has just announced that over 1,000 new bin hubs - which will include rat traps - are set to be installed around the city.

A report from the local authority said that the new on-street hubs would support waste and recycling servicing from “challenging” flats.

The rat traps were only added after a council official pointed out the bins could be adapted to have bait boxes inside them.

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