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Tourists are being urged not to let a huge rat infestation deter them from visiting a popular seaside village this summer. Skip related content

Pest controllers have been called in to tackle the rodent population of Flamborough, East Yorkshire, after thousands of rats were spotted in recent weeks.

Residents were shocked and disgusted when the village was overrun, with rats seen swarming across main roads, through verges and gardens.

The infestation, which first became apparent in January, has been blamed on rats feeding on strips of unharvested corn left at the perimeter of fields, a practice intended to help wildlife in the area.

John Crossland of Flamborough Parish Council said: "We think there are two main causes. One is the mild winters we have had over the past two or three years, so the basic population of rats has remained higher than normal. The second is that because this is a very large centre for migrating birds, Defra has encouraged farmers to leave corn standing at the edge of fields to feed the birds. Obviously it's difficult to differentiate whether the birds or the rats get the food."

But Cllr Crossland said pest controllers from East Riding of Yorkshire Council had worked hard to eliminate the rat population before the start of the tourist season, and urged potential visitors not to be deterred from coming to Flamborough.

"Basically we're back to normal," he said. "Farmers are not going to leave standing corn near residential properties anymore. This certainly should not put anybody off coming here."

The problem was focused around North Marine Road, where houses are located close to fields and hedgerows, giving the rodents shelter.

Local resident Steve Crowther told the Daily Mail: "A mate of mine was driving out of the pub and saw two or three hundred of them in the road. There was a carpet of them - just a big brown mass. As soon as the headlights caught them, they darted everywhere."

A spokesman for the local authority said: "The council was made aware of a rat problem in Flamborough at the end of January. Since then we have installed 30 bait boxes in the area and have been in contact with local landowners who are also taking action. The council is regularly visiting the area to check for progress and will continue to do so until the infestation problem is resolved. The council is happy that the treatment is being effective."