A couple found guilty of abandoning five pet rats - four of which were found dead by the RSPCA - have been banned from keeping the animals for three years.

Paul Tiler, 31, and Leanne Knell, 23, both of West Royd Drive, Windhill, Shipley, had denied abandoning the domestic rats when they moved from their previous address in nearby West Royd Crescent last May.

Martin Simpson, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told Bingley magistrates that the rats had been discovered by an inspector called in to investigate by the couple's former landlord after they moved out.

He said: "The animals were left to fend for themselves with no continuing care.''

Bradford-based RSPCA inspector Trevor Walker said he found one live white rat running around inside the shed and four dead ones - some decomposed and partly cannibalised. Three were in closed cages.

He said: "In one secure cage was what appeared to be a dead rat, recognisable by its tail only. The carcass appeared to have been cannibalised - there was no flesh, just bone. Further investigation showed it was actually the remains of two rats.

"There was no food or water available in the shed, in individual cages or on the floor.''

The inspector said he had fed and watered the surviving rat. It was put back in the shed in a cage but nobody returned to care for it over the following two days.

Cross-examined by Christopher Bird, defending, Mr Walker admitted he had had no concerns about the condition of two dogs and a pair of rats the couple were keeping at their new address.

Giving evidence in his defence, Tiler said their rats had been released from their cages and the garden shed on three occasions over several months prior to their move.

Following the second incident he fitted a padlock to the shed but that had been forced open and rats again released with just one of the animals later recovered.

He said: "I love animals. I would never hurt an animal or leave an animal to be hurt by any action of myself.''

He told the court that no rats had been kept in the shed for several weeks before the couple's move, adding: "There were no rats in the shed when we moved out.''

Mr Bird said the defence was left with speculation as to what had happened, adding: "Mr Tiler can't explain it - all he can be sure of is that they didn't leave them in there.

"There are other explanations - someone has maliciously on three occasions gone into that shed and released their pets and if that's the case it's not beyond the bounds of possibility or probability that someone could have gone in and done anything, opening and closing cages and doing anything with those animals.''

Finding Tiler and mother-of-two Knell guilty, magistrates ordered each to pay a total of £190 in fines and costs and disqualified the pair from keeping rats for three years.

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