'Super-rats' have been spotted gorging on food, drink and other discarded rubbish at a beauty spot in Edinburgh, sparking horror among residents.
The vermin were clocked by a local photographer at the Water of Leith over the weekend after careless litter bugs created an ideal feeding ground for the pesky animals.
Ross Forsyth was enjoying a stroll at the popular spot when he spied the rodents chomping on litter, including a milkshake, which had been thrown away at the river bank on Sunday, August 25, reports EdinburghLive.
The photos show the furry animal enjoying what appears to be a sweet treat from nearby restaurant Kaspa's Dessert Parlour. The rat picked up the piece of litter before licking the container clean and moving it out of sight.
The unnerving discovery comes after professional rat catchers warned the animals would grow in size and start breeding at an alarming rate due to the excess rubbish caused by the bin strikes in August.
Rat man Chris Cagienard said rodents will soon try to get into homes in the area to find a new source of food. Discarded litter is often a food source for the wild animals that scavenge trash covered streets and parks to survive.
Ross, the local who snapped the pictures said: "People moan about rats when it’s people who create the opportunities for them to scavenge.
"Ratty picked this Kaspa's ice cream tub of some rocks after being thrown over a wall on the river and at least had the decency to remove it from sight after cleaning the inside thoroughly."
A concerned local said: "Locals are getting problems with rats at Dean Village now reported to be chewing wiring under cars.
"The biggest problem is the water draining hole at the bottom of the big waste bins where they climb through by the dozen. The thing is people don't like poison in natural areas."
And the sight of the rodents is going to become more common across cities as experts say that the falling temperatures over autumn will see the disease-ridden creatures seek shelter.
Residents are being urged to take extra precautions to protect their homes from the massive rodents this year as rats grow to extreme sizes.
Vermin boffins explained that rats are getting bigger as a result of leftover energy going into body mass and growth, which means they are also breeding more than ever. Rats on average have 72 babies a year and these babies are ready themselves within a week.
Rats will set their sights on people's homes and gardens as there are a lot fewer burrows for them for the winter as their food source dwindles and temperatures drop.
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