Online voices

STORY

A visitor dumping “large amount of bird feed”, dog dirt and litter are being given as the causes of rats overrunning a Sunderland park. Sunderland City Council has said it has also called in Northumbrian Water to help it bait the sewers near Barnes Park to crackdown on the outbreak, which has seen vermin scuttle around its playpark and pathways.

Keith Maddison: Think Sunderland council need to get there fingers out. Our back path is overgrown ideal for vermin and dog poo if they got no funds get them removed then no cutting to do

Karen Atkinson: We have fed the birds/ducks etc for years in all the parks! Always Got to have someone to blame lol haway man give it a rest!

Chris Haswell: Wait for animal attacks, territory gained during lockdown. Not so much in the UK but the rest of the world

Jean Holdsworth: Thank goodness problem needs sorting in Barnes park Graeme Wharton: Fancy that... nuggets that litter and feed birds are to blame ...here's me thinking they just liked the area.

Frank Tuftom: Council needs to cut grass and weeds back of bede Crest and dene court as been seen around here

Chris Haswell: Ohh yeah just look how many dolphins and killer whales have came back to our coast line Sunderland in photos: I was there few months ago those rats were waving at me!

Margy James: There’s always been rats in parks isn’t that natural

Liam Mckenzie: A went for a run Monday through the park seen 2 during the day

Tony Isles: Counted 7 spread across one of the paths . Didnt scurry away when walking past them Chris Haswell: Lockdown gave them back territory

Che Thornton: Blame the government for cutting the councils funding to the bone. Austerity breeds rats and Council Estate Tories