Why a swarm of rats are being welcomed in Hull

The first rat was unveiled at Hull College

Some colourful additions to the city of Hull will be scurrying their way to the city's streets very soon.

A new trail of decorated rat statues are soon going to be put up across the East Yorkshire city, and the first of them has already been revealed.

Daisy will have 44 other painted furry friends by the time the installation is done

It's called Daisy Rat - isn't she cute?

There will be 45 rats in total, and each of them will be about 6 feet tall, which is as tall as a fully grown man.

Why are rat statues coming to Hull?

The 45 rats are being placed around the city to commemorate a 1960s band called The Rats.

They were from Hull, and the guitarist Mick Ronson also went on to play guitar for super famous singer David Bowie.

The art installation will be called A Mischief of Rats, as 'mischief' is the word for a group of the furry rodents.

David Bowie and Mick Ronson performing Starman on Top of the Pops in 1972

Organisers said the project would help the Daisy Appeal charity, which helps treat people with cancer.

Nick Stafford, chairman of the Daisy Appeal trustees committee said: "I think it'll be a real credit to the city to have the rat trail and it's wonderful for the charity.

"It brings us into people's vision and hopefully they will support us not just by supporting the rat project, but by supporting the charity in the longer term."

Puffins, moths and toads have all called Hull their home over the years

The charity hopes to raise up to £250,000.

And it's not the first time they've raised money in this way; other similar art displays include Puffins Galore which raised £120,000.

The Mischief of Rats sculpture trail is expected to be completed by April 2025 and will open for three months from May.