STEPHEN HOUSTON

Swarms of rats and mice have been found across schools and public buildings in Renfrewshire.

Pest exterminators had to be called out 170 times over the past three years to council property spanning libraries to sports centres.

Many of the visits by Renfrewshire Council pest squads to their own properties were for wasps nests.

But rodents were also discovered across the region.

The council has released the data under Freedom of Information legislation.

The only care home with rats was the Montrose Care home, in Paisley’s Heriot Avenue, where inspectors were called out twice, six months apart.

Nur s e ries with mice were Auchenlodment, in Johnstone, Moorpark Pre-Five centre and Glendee Pre-Five Centre, both in Renfrew, Our Lady of Peace Nursery, in Linwood, Bridge of Weir Nursery and Douglas Street Pre-Five Centre, in Paisley,

Nurseries with rats were Ferguslie Pre-Fives at the Tannahill Centre, the Paisley Pre-Five Centre, in Stow Street, St Margaret’s Nursery and Spateston Pre-Five Centre, in Johnstone, St Peter’s, in Paisley, and the Hugh Smiley Pre-Five Centre, in Paisley.

Some of the nurseries had persistent problems with rats, needing several visits before the problem was fully tackled.

The primary schools with mice were St John Ogilvie, in Paisley, Our Lady of Peace, in Linwood, St Anthony’s, in Johnstone, Gallowhill, in Paisley, Auchenlodment and Newmains, in Renfrew, St Charles’ in Paisley, St Catherine’s in Paisley, Houston Primary, Wallace in Elderslie, and Heriot in Paisley.

Primaries with rats were Heriot, in Paisley, Inchinnan, West, in Paisley, St Margaret’s, in Johnstone, Thorn Primary, in Johnstone, St Charles, in Paisley and Wallace Primary, in Elderslie.

Beetles were found inside a £2billiona-year procurement centre which deals with contracts for all Scotland’s 32 local