AN "uphill battle" is being fought against rats in Redditch - partly because people are not disposing of litter properly, say Redditch Council.

A huge number have been spotted of late, especially by shoppers and workers in the Church Green area.

Council environmental health officer Lisa Roberts said: "Similar to the majority of towns in the country, we have experienced a rise in the number of rats this year.

"This is partly due to the very wet summer but it is also due to people accidentally or purposely leaving food out for them.

"We are doing all that we can to deter the rats using permanent bait sites above ground and in the sewers and we have also removed shrub beds in the town centre to reduce the number of places for them to hide in.

"We are now asking members of the public to do their part and not leave out food or drop litter.

"To tackle the problem, our cleansing operatives carry out regular litter-picking and street cleansing, we have installed eight additional litter bins around the town centre, and the council's enforcement officer is issuing fixed penalty fines for littering.

"However, the council is fighting an increasingly uphill battle if members of the public don't dispose of their rubbish responsibly".