AN explosion in the rat population in Freshwater led to daily complaints to the parish office from distressed residents.
Freshwater Parish Council took urgent action to combat the rodent menace, which centred mainly on the stream near the Moa Place car park and the area around Brookside Road and School Green Road.
It was said at Tuesday’s Freshwater Parish Council meeting you only had to stand in the car park for 20 minutes to see a rat, while another councillor said he had seen baby rats.
Councillors were told the situation had improved since the council took new steps to eradicate the vermin.
Council clerk, Sally Woods, said: "We were getting two or three complaints a day but it has been better since we took the urgent action."
Parish councillors agreed to a two-year contract, which will go out to tender, to keep the vermin under control.
Reporter: martinn@iwcpmail.co.uk