Disgusting rats and pigeons have infested a street in the city centre with scared neighbours calling for help. Residents living on Brightmoor Street, in the Hockley area, have spoken over the 'horrible' rodents invading their gardens.
The street is adjacent to Goose Gate, in the heart of Hockley popular for its vibrant food scene, cafés and bars. And while managers of some venues in the area said they have never seen rats around restaurants - they also shared their concerns over the issue.
Mehmet Ozdemir, who has lived on Brightmoor Street for 26 years, said he does not let his children play outside because of the rats. The 48-year-old said: "We have a big problem.
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"All the pigeons from Nottingham come here. I have got three children - they cannot play outside. It is not fair on them."
He has shown his garden to Nottinghamshire Live, where rats had dug under his fence. When we visited, around four rats and a number of pigeons were seen eating crumbs in one of the nearby gardens.
"The rats have damaged everything. Nobody is happy about it - it is horrible.
"They are running all over the street. I cannot let my children outside because it is dangerous.
"We wanted to move out because of this. It is awful. It is not just one or two - it is sometimes 10, 15, 20 rats."
His neighbour, Alan Souza, a web developer who works from home, said he keeps his door shut at all times. The 29-year-old added: "At night time, you just cannot go outside.
"It is a nightmare. They have damaged the garden. They run around the garden. It is also concerning because it is just around the corner from where the restaurants are."
City council waste crews regularly empty bins and clear waste. But city council officials called on local residents and businesses to dispose of household waste responsibly in a bid to help the situation and discourage rats.
Tahir Abubakar, who lives in St Ann's, said he sees rats in the area regularly. He added: "It is a problem because you have got all the restaurants here. How could you eat when you see rats running around.
"There is no harmony", the 46-year-old postman added. "This is known as a dirty street.
"It is normal to see rats in the evening. When I drive at night, I always see them.
"You can see them better as a driver because they run in front of the car if you have the lights on. It is a massive problem."
Shoppers and regulars to the area have also voiced their concerns. Angela Skinner, 62, added: "It is concerning - people need to be more aware.
"It can be off-putting if the city centre gets infested. Pigeons is one thing - rats is another."
Enid Lodge, 88, agreed adding: "It is the public who are suffering because of it."
Gemma Peng, who is a manager at Shanghai restaurant on Goose Gate, in Hockley, said: "We work with a pest control company so we are fine. I am concerned in general if there is an issue - but it will not affect us as we are protected."
Miled Hornozi, a manager at the Asiana Express in Hockley, said: "We keep our doors closed and we are generally careful. I have not seen any rats in the area so far but it is worrying.
"It is definitely concerning if a street has bene infested. Sometimes it is annoying that some restaurants leave their bags of rubbish outside."
A City Council spokesperson said: “Our waste crews are out regularly emptying bins and clearing waste, however we would encourage residents and businesses to help to discourage rats by doing things like responsibly disposing of household waste, removing other food sources from gardens and maintaining gardens and shrubs. People should report incidents of fly-tipping to us via our website.
“Residents can treat the problem on their property themselves by ordering traps and rodenticide online, or contact their landlord or agent if in rented property. Alternatively, our pest control team and other professional services are available to address the issue.”
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