'I saw huge rat run up my baby's leg,' says mum living on Milton Keynes street plagued by rats the size of small dogs

The king-size creatures have become so tame that they run across people’s feet and even up their legs.

When the nights get chilly they cosy up in cars - chewing their way through cables and wires.

Mum-of-two Kayleigh Kennedy broke down on the motorway this month after flames started shooting out of her exhaust.

“I called the AA and when they lifted the bonnet they found the engine was full of chicken bones. The HD cable was chewed through. It could only be rats, they said.”

Kayleigh has lived in her Gurnards flat for eight years, but says the rats in the communal bin area outside have become a massive problem over the past 12 months.

And she says the council is ignoring the problem, despite frequent complaints from residents.

“I went outside with my one-year-old son and a great big rat actually ran up his leg,” she said.

“If you go out in flip flops, the rats run right across your feet. It is horrible.”

Milton Keynes Council no longer has an in-house pest control service. It uses private contractors called DialAPest, which is part of SDK Environmental Ltd. They charge £39.50 for rat control, while people on benefits or qualifying for concessions pay a lower rate of £19.75.

A council spokesman said: “Council tenants should contact the Housing Team for advice about pest control in a council property.”

The spokesman added: “Vermin and other animals are attracted by food waste which is why we urge all residents to put their food waste into the green wheelie bin rather than into black sacks which can be ripped open by animals.

“Rubbish and recycling should not be placed out for collection too early either – the right time to put out waste is before 7am on the usual collection day or after 5pm the day before.”