RATS SCURRY BY PLAY AREA Rodents spotted near city centre supermarket
Perth shoppers looked on in horror from a city centre supermarket cafe as a group of rats scampered mere yards from a kids’ play area.
Customers sitting in the Perth city centre Morrisons store on Saturday saw around half a dozen of the rodents, called a mischief, emerging from nearby bushes to forage along a public pathway.
The plagued path, which hugs the childrens’ play area, is frequently used by local residents to get to the Morrisons store via the residential Caledonian Court.
One onlooker, who said a number of stunned shoppers could see the rats from the cafe
window, made an urgent call to Perth and Kinross Council to deal with the infestation and also took a video of the scene, which she has shared with the PA.
She said:“To be honest, at first I thought there was a paedophile in the play area.
“I could hear raised voices saying‘that’s not right’followed by‘look, they’re taking pics’.
“The auld dears were clambering by the cafe window looking out.
“I eventually asked what was wrong and they brought my attention to the rats.
“They got the security guard over to look and some went to customer services.
“When I finished my coffee I went out and sure enough they continued to run around.”
Perth City Centre ward councillor Peter Barrett said:“It can be shocking and frightening to see rats at close quarters and in such numbers.
“I will make further enquiries but I don’t think that the council owns any of the houses next to Morrisons, so responsibility for dealing with rats’nests in the shrubbery most probably lies between Morrisons and their neighbours.”
A PKC spokesperson said:“Perth and Kinross Council’s regulatory services team is investigating a survey of around Morrisons and the wider play park area to try and identify a potential source and the necessary treatment as quickly as possible.”
A Morrisons spokeswoman said:“We are currently investigating the issue and will quickly take any appropriate action needed.”