'We ARE reducing the rat population in Milton Keynes' insist council leaders

Leading councillors say the ray population in MK has been "successfully reduced" over the past year.

They say the use of bait boxes and regular street cleaning have proved effective in curbing the problem. And the planning roll out of wheelie bins in 2023 will be step further by removing their food source.

But opposing Conservative councillors say this is not enough - and they insist rat infestations are becoming more common in MK.

The Tories wanted the Labour and Lib Dem Progressive Alliance to commit to spend £120k in the budget to support area plagued by rats. And they want to see a special council team devoted to the problem.

Tory leader Cllr Alex Walker said: “For a growing city that already suffers from missed waste collections and excessive littering, it is no wonder that rat infestations are becoming more common.

"The council needs to take a leading role in tackling this issue. Their current plan will not be enough to deal with it. We want to double the planned budget so there can be a properly resourced team that can be proactive in dealing with the issue, rather than reactive.”

But the Progressive Alliance has hit back, saying: “Despite what the Conservative Group may claim, the Progressive Alliance has doubled its investment in pest control in the 22/23 budget, proposing £120,000 to tackle rats.

They added: “Working in partnership with Luton Council’s specialist pest control team, we have successfully reduced the rat population in the past year while delivering value for money. Although we know that the best way to eradicate rats is to remove their food source. This means that wheelie bins and continued weekly collections will be the most effective weapon to tackle the problem going forward."