THIS WEEK IN 1989: Sewer rats loose in Portsmouth streets

Rats were escaping from Portsmouth's sewer system on a city housing estate.

The city council was trying to kill off the rodents by tempting them to eat home-made oatcakes laced with poison.

Dozens of worried residents at Chalton House, Landport, spotted rats coming out of drains and into their gardens.

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Alex Hall, the council’s principal engineer for drainage, said the rats were using disused sewer-connecting pipes – especially under one block of council flats which had Victorian sewers beneath it.

He explained the sewer pipes serving houses demolished in the last war had never been blocked-up. The pipes were providing easy rat access to and from the sewer system.

The rats’ labyrinth was discovered by a video camera survey through the system.

Environmental health officer Brian Parker said: ‘The council is dealing with the rat problem with a two-pronged attack.

‘The operation is being conducted entirely underground by expert operatives and there is absolutely no danger to people, children or pets.’

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