'It’s the size of a cat': Giant rat found in UK town amid pest control concerns

Rodent said to be 22in (56cm) long from nose to tail found in English town, where rat problem is said to be worsening

À supersize rat said to be 22in (56cm) from nose to tail was discovered in Normanby, England. Picture: David Taylor and Stephen Martin — Eston Ward Councillors/Facebook

Cuts to an English council's pest control services are being blamed for a town’s rodent problem, which includes the discovery of a supersize rat said to be 22in (56cm) from nose to tail.

The giant rat, about the length of the carry-on luggage people might be wheeling on to a flight — or, if not on holiday, a desktop monitor — was found inside a person’s home in Normanby a borough near Middlesbrough.