A former councillor voices concerns about large rats in a Hove park, raising safety issues for children and pets.
Dawn Barnett used to represent Hangleton and Knoll. She said Greenleas park has huge rats. They’re as big as cats, she claimed.
Barnett fears people will use poison. She worries about kids and pets being harmed. The school holidays are coming soon, and she said something needs to happen quickly.
She called the council about the rats. The council said they no longer have pest control. They view it as a normal issue for parks.
Missed bin collections contribute to the problem. Route expansions happen with new homes, and binmen struggle to finish their rounds. Bad weather makes it even harder.
Alan Robins is a Labour councillor. He’s in charge of sports and recreation. He wants people to report rat problems.
The council uses an outside pest control service. They deal with rat issues in public parks when rats might bother park visitors.
The council investigates resident concerns. Then they decide if pest control is needed. Robins encourages people to report rat problems online.