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Pest control experts have reported a huge increase in calls as Edinburgh's overflowing bins leads to soaring numbers of rats on the streets.
The pay dispute which has seen bins go unemptied and rubbish strewn on the streets has provided extra food for vermin. And there have been warnings that unless a deal to end the dispute is struck soon, the Capital could be facing a rat epidemic.
Gavin Lindsay, of Anglo Scottish Pest Control, said: "We've seen around a 60 per cent increase in business in the last couple of weeks. We're up to four call-outs a day, which is a lot. Edinburgh has always had a rat problem but the state of the streets has caused this to escalate. Basement flats are particularly at risk."
While rats are the biggest problem there has also been a big increase in scavengers such as seagulls, pigeons and foxes raiding bin bags left on the pavements.
Mr Lindsay, whose business is based at Millar Place Lane, said his employees visited a home this week where the number of rats had hit double figures.
He said: "We went to a property on Great King Street where there was rubbish and bin bags all over the street. We went down to the basement and found about 14 rats, which is much more than normal. They're obviously coming up from the sewer system to get their teeth into all the extra food. Seagulls and foxes are also causing a huge mess ripping open stray bags."
He added: "While the city is in this state the rats will keep coming back for more. The population of rodents could explode."
Andrew Burns, manager of Total Pest Solutions, on South Bridge, said that the current pest problem may not yet have reached its peak if action continues.
He said the vermin will cause ongoing problems even when the rubbish is cleaned up because animals will keep on searching for food and will resort to invading houses.
"At the moment the rat problem is under control to a degree but when the food source dries up this will be a different matter. They will be breeding now because of the plentiful food supplies and then they will want to feed their young, which could make them vicious. It will be hard to shift them."
He added that maggots are also causing a big problem at the moment.
"Eggs will be hatching on the rotting food within 36 to 48 hours, which is incredibly unhygienic and could pass on diseases."
National vermin control company Rentokil, which has a number of Edinburgh-based offices, said a reduction in rubbish collections was a "major contributing factor" to an increasing rat population.
Litter has plagued Edinburgh's streets over recent weeks as binmen staged a work-to-rule as they battle against the decision to remove bonus payments for attendance and productivity, which they claim will cost them thousands of pounds in earnings. Union leaders say they are no closer to an agreement, despite hopes the dispute could be soon be resolved.
The city council insisted it had not seen an increase in the number of calls to its in-house pest control service.
Dynamic Pest Control, 60 Page Lane,
Widnes,
Cheshire