Residents of a northern towns around Middlesborough and Redcar and Cleveland council area of North Yorkshire that cut bin collections a year ago are suffering a plague of cat-sized rats stuffing themselves silly on rubbish, growing to almost two feet long. Packs of up to 60 rodents have infested some properties, he told the Daily Mail, with some found swimming in toilet bowls. The Labour-run council suspended its domestic pest control service in 2018 as it ran short of cash, and last year cut bin collections from weekly to fortnightly while seeking to avoid effectively declaring bankruptcy. Mr Lawrence told the Mail he has seen 'bold' rodents running around in broad daylight, with residents' lazy littering habits only encouraging the problem. #rats #rat #middlesbrough #redcar #cleveland #news