A plague of rats that grew over several years forced Scotland’s biggest council to take action on cleansing.
Week after week Glasgow Live and the Daily Record were sent videos of infestations making the lives of Glasgow residents a misery.
The GMB union now believes that a cash investment of more than £6 million a year can revive the city centre and drive the rodents from residential areas.
GMB workers and Glasgow citizens collected a horror showcase of videos of rats on the rampage as they ramped up demands for a city clean-up.
The pressure led to the council issuing statements that blamed people for leaving the food litter that attracts the rodents in the first place.
But the clamour did not die and the new investment is aimed at decreasing rodent populations in visible parts of the city.
In November last year a video featuring a pack of the rodents at Kelvingrove Park angered one local mum – who branded the park “Ratland”.
Nearby, residents of posh Bishopsmill Court in Yorkhill had to hire private rat exterminators after cleansing teams refused to collect their rat-infested bins.
In the east end, Craig Lawrie, 42, said he has been catching up to two rats a day throughout November despite continuous complaints to his housing provider, Tollcross Housing Association, and environmental health interventions.
In Ravenscraig Drive in Pollok, dozens of rats at a time were caught on video – terrifying local people.
And in Renfrew Street in the city centre further videos showed brazen rodents freaking out passers-by.
Rat populations in Glasgow saw a massive spike between 2022 and 2023, making up 70 per cent of all pest reports made to Glasgow City Council.
Refuse workers have also made scores of videos of rats trapped in wheelie bins.
The Record was sent videos of large rodents in Possilpark, Partick, Yorkhill and Cowcaddens. The videos were sent to the GMB’s “rat file”.
Reductions in bin collection frequency, cuts to cleansing teams, the COVID pandemic lockdown, poor quality housing and deep social issues have all been blamed for a rise in the pests.
Glasgow City Council has been asked to comment.
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