Rats on popular beach 'out of control' as council lays poison

Rats were pictured on Millisle Beach over the weekend

Poison bait is being used to target rats who are "running freely" in and around the beach in a popular seaside village.

Council official Gareth Kinnear said while it was a "last resort" the sheer numbers of rats at Millisle Beach, in County Down, meant action had to be taken.

One resident said she believed vegetation was giving the rodents somewhere to hide and the issue must be addressed.

Members of the public have been warned by Ards and North Down council about the pest control programme, which began on Thursday.

People are being warned to keep dogs on leads and supervise children at all times.

Signs are up to advise the public and council officers will be visiting the site over the coming days to engage with beach users.

Speaking to BBC News NI at Millisle Beach on Thursday, Mr Kinnear said the council has received "a lot of complaints" about the rats in recent weeks.

"The rat population on the beach does seem to be at a level that we wouldn't expect to see in a natural environment," he said.

He said the baiting programme is "something we do quite reluctantly because it isn't ideal in a natural environment to be using rodenticide".

"We feel because of the numbers that are here that it really is the only option available to try and get this under control," Mr Kinnear said.

He added that the rodenticide being used is "one that is suitable for use in an outdoor environment".

"The reason it is approved for that use is that the risk of secondary poisoning is very low."

Council official Gareth Kinnear says the amount of rats at Millisle Beach meant action had to be taken

Tracy Carson is from the village, and is part of a community group helping to clear the beach and main footpath of weeds over the last number of weeks.

She said the vegetation growing along the shore has not been cut back since 2019, attracting litter and giving the rats somewhere to hide.

"It's a seaside village and our beach was always beautiful and attracted a lot of tourists but to come down and sit amongst this [the weeds], and the rats are just running freely," she told BBC News NI.

Tracy Carson has been working with other residents to help clear up Millisle Beach

She said more needs to be done to keep the beach free from plants growing, and bins emptied more often to keep the rats away.

"The rats are hiding in there, and then they're just running back and forward and they're feeding off it," Ms Carson added.

When asked if there is any correlation between the vegetation and the rat population at Millisle, Mr Kinnear said: "From what I'm seeing here I don't know that there's anything really there that would sustain the population that we have at the minute."

He said there are "always going to be rats present".

"They are part of the environment and they are part of the food chain. There are animals that prey on them and rely on them as a source of food, but I don't think that the number of rats that we're seeing here is something that could have built up naturally," Mr Kinnear said.

He added that there are other factors that are allowing the rats to be at Millisle Beach in these numbers.

Pets on leads

The council is advising the public to keep all pets on leads and under strict control at all times, on all parts of the beach.

People are also being asked to have children supervised at all times, to take food waste away with them and not to feed the birds.

Ards and North Down Borough Council have issued warnings to beachgoers

The council said that in the case of accidental poisoning, people should contact an emergency department as soon as possible.

In the case of accidental poisoning of pets, people are being advised to contact their vet.

A council Facebook post gives advice on what to do