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‘Size of a small cat’: Giant 22-inch rat caught from house in northern England sparks concerns about pest control

Pest controllers captured the massive 22-inch rat from Normanby in Redcar and Cleveland, believed to be the largest ever found in the UK.

Local councillors were shown a photo of the animal and were stunned by its size

Pest controllers recently caught a massive rat, believed to be the biggest ever seen in the United Kingdom (UK), from a house in northern England, sparking a wave of concern and disbelief online.

Measuring an astonishing 22 inches from nose to tail, the giant rodent was discovered in the Normanby area of Redcar and Cleveland after a worried resident contacted exterminators. Local councillors were shown a photo of the animal and were stunned by its size, describing it as “almost the size of a small cat”.

For context, the previous record-holder for Britain’s biggest rat was a 21-inch rodent found in a Bournemouth home back in 2018. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a charity in England and Wales that works to promote animal welfare, says most rats in the UK typically grow to around 11 inches — making this latest find nearly double the average.

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Eston ward councillor David Taylor told The Telegraph that the rat problem has been steadily escalating, especially since the Labour-led council scrapped free pest control services for residents. “The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get,” Taylor warned. “It is a growing problem.”

While the council claims it has a dedicated pest control officer for public land and offers guidance to residents, locals say it’s not enough. Taylor and fellow councillor Stephen Martin took to Facebook, urging action: “Rats are being spotted more and more around our area. As your local councillors, we’re calling on the Council administration to take this seriously.”

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Their post quickly went viral, with social media users chiming in from across the UK, and even abroad. One user joked, “You must have never been to the Nation’s Capitol or New York. Because most big cities have Rats that you could put on the police force. Put ’em in uniform, give a taser, and the city would be crimeless.”

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Others shared their own rat encounters, with one person saying, “I saw the biggest rat I’ve ever seen in my home. My cat sat there looking at it, two inches away. Craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” Another added, “This is nothing new. We get rats every year as soon as the weather gets cold. I’ve been told to get traps and poison or humane traps.”