High-class Ilkley has been hit by a surge of rats, as concern grows about the vermin's population boom across the district.

The tourist town was named by a Council officer as a current rat hot-spot at a meeting of Bradford Council's Environment Scrutiny Committee last night.

Pest-control manager Dennis Shipway said Manningham and University also appeared to be the worst-hit areas.

The committee asked officers to look at a multi-agency strategy for the Council in view of the increasing problem.

Latest figures show the number of reports across the district has risen by 25 per cent from 1,270 calls during 1998 and 1,588 in the past year.

The Council and Yorkshire Water - which is responsible for baiting the sewers - have already agreed an action plan. The authority will supply the company with quarterly reports, giving post codes on trouble spots to enable them to deal with problem areas.

Mr Shipway said the company would be notified of the problems at Ilkley, Manningham and the University area.

But members said they wanted further action in view of public concern about the menace.

Councillor John Ruding (Lab, Tong) said: "Given the level of public concern, the community want a debate and want the answers.

"We also want a written agreement from Yorkshire Water about the matter. It is becoming a massive problem.

"I don't want to get into a blaming culture. But the warm weather is coming and the rodent population is about to take off, as we all know."

He said the Council needed a clearly thought-out strategy and policy to deal with the whole issue.

Councillor Howard Middleton (Lib Dem, Bolton) said the people would want emphasis on the preventative side, rather than doing something when the rats appeared.

The Council will also seek six-monthly meetings with Yorkshire Water, although members admit there are other causes for infestations, including dumping rubbish.

After the meeting, Mr Shipway said he could not give figures for the three new problem areas, but the Ilkley rats could have come from culverts and streams. He added they might even be water voles.

He said: "You can't always tell figures from reports received either, because you could have the same rat running along a number of houses in a row - and different people getting in touch with us."

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