The seaside town of Tenby is one of Wales’ most popular tourist destinations, with tens of thousands flocking each year to enjoy its beaches and picturesque coastline.
But those admiring the view from Castle Beach in the last fortnight could have been in for a shock, as they may have seen large rats burrowing within the cliff above their heads.
A video posted on social media last week appeared to show “giant” rodents tunnelling in the ground, and scurrying in and out of holes – sparking fears that they could make the cliff unstable.
Boatman Roger Miles told the BBC that he had seen “rats as big as cats” and claimed there were parts of the cliff that had been eroded because of them.
Pembrokeshire council urged locals and visitors to stop feeding birds and dropping food, but also sought to reassure people.
Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, the town’s mayor, said on Monday that the issue was being overblown. “We are taking action and have people out this week. We did put things in place in December,” she said. “It’s the same in any place like Tenby.”
The issues are similar in many seaside towns. It is due to a combination of people feeding the birds – with rodents pouncing on any food left behind – tourists dropping litter, and guests in holiday homes not being careful about putting rubbish out or in the right bins. Seagulls are also notorious for ripping apart rubbish bags with food inside, which can also attract rats.
The town has long been a popular destination for day trips and holidays for people from Wales, the south-west and West Midlands. Skyrme-Blackhall said: “We saw a growth in crowds and footfall during Covid and it has continued since.
“We are the jewel in the crown of Pembrokeshire, so we have always had a lot of visitors, but there have been more since then. There are members of the public who feed the birds, which feeds the rats. They think they are being kind but it’s not helping the issue at all.
“[Also] people are not being responsible and not disposing of their rubbish in the right place, so they are putting food waste in their general rubbish, and the rats find it.
“We have a team who deal with such problems and they started using the baiting system which they have previously used. They are doing an amazing job. The problem is being eradicated as we speak. Yes there have been issues but nothing on the volume that has been out there and as far as we are aware, the rats have been taking the bait.”
Councillors are due to meet later this week to discuss the waste issue, as well as education around disposal and warning people against feeding the birds.
Pembrokeshire county council told the South Wales Argus on Monday that staff were examining the cliff face to see if there was any potential danger due to erosion caused by the rat nests. Local councillor Michael Williams said he had passed on his concerns of “a considerable rodent infestation” tunnelling at Castle Hill to the relevant council department.
