AN infestation of large rats near a hot-spot for fly-tipped food has now become a ‘plague’, according to residents.

Earlier this week, they spoke out about fly-tipped take-away food regularly appearing in a backstreet behind Wensleydale Road, Thornbury, and attracting pests.

Now people living in nearby Petrie Grove say their homes are being invaded by a growing number of rats, and warn it will only be a matter of time before they start to breed.

Drainage worker Shane West, 53, of Petrie Grove, said: “It’s like the Pied Piper. I’m serious.”

Mr West said he was getting increasingly concerned, especially seeing as he had a 13-year-old son, Alex, who was also having to put up with the infestation.

He said: “I’ve caught five rats in the last two nights after working night shifts and I can’t sleep because of the noise and destruction caused by them.

“This is bad for the community and everybody is concerned.

“We need help to solve this massive problem. It’s like the plague has hit Bradford.”

Mr West said his neighbours were reporting similar problems, and they laid the blame squarely on the fly-tipped take-away food which kept appearing in the back street.

He said: “My street, Petrie Grove, is a clean street. There’s no rubbish at all.

“But go around the back and there is rubbish everywhere.”

A load of black bin bags dumped earlier this week have since been removed by Bradford Council, which is investigating the fly-tipping.

Mr West said: “Obviously, now this take-away rubbish has gone they are now trying to get warm.

“Then they will start breeding, that’s the way it goes.”

Neighbour Abdul Jabbar, also of Petrie Grove, said he had not found rats in his house but had taken a video of some beneath a manhole cover in his back yard.

Bradford Council usually charges a fee for its rat control service.

But Mr Jabbar said he hoped it would take action and clear the rats, at no cost to the residents, saying the fly-tipping was not their fault.

Councillor Mohammed Shafiq (Lab, Bradford Moor) said: “The residents understandably want this matter resolved as soon as possible.

“I’m assured that the Council will do all it can together with residents to investigate the fly-tipping and try to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Council officers came out and removed waste and the case has been passed to an environmental enforcement officer, who will shortly be speaking with residents to discuss the further actions that can be taken to identify the culprit.”