GNAW MEAN CITY

Union blasts local authority as vermin overrun our streets

- DAN VEVERS

GLASGOW'S rat infestation nightmare has got "10 times worse" with parts of the city turned into no-go areas for cleansing workers, a union chief has said.

Chris Mitchell, Glasgow convener for the GMB union, said chronic cuts and the council failing to take responsibility were to blame.

The trade unionist said he feared shocking levels of rubbish and rats were hampering investment in Glasgow, hurting jobs and the local economy.

He also warned it was now a major worker safety issue saying he'd been forced to pull staff from vermin hotspots after four were hospitalised from scratches and cuts from rats.

It comes as a study revealed a worsening rats and mice problem across Scotland and the UK - but with Glasgow firmly ahead with the most pest-control callouts north of the Border.

The growing rats and vermin problem in Scotland's biggest city came under the spotlight in 2021 amid its recovery from Covid and in the lead-up to COP26.

We revealed back then how the city's streets were overrun by a staggering 1.3million rodents more than twice the human population.

Mitchell told the Record: "It's 10 times worse now. We're coming across infestations of rats as a daily occurrence.

"Some areas are worse than others in particular, the north of the city, and the west end is really bad as well.

"I've never seen anything like this.There are certain areas that are just a no-go area for our members now.

"The public arecomplaining, our members are complaining but the council's response is the exact same, that there's rats in every city.