Residents of the seaside town were left ‘living in terror’ after being invaded by ‘monstrous rats as big as cats’

Residents of a coastal town have been left ‘living in terror’ after being invaded by ‘monstrous’ rats ‘as big as cats’.

Locals in Tenby, southwest Wales, are concerned that the rodents are damaging the cliffs along the picturesque coastline with their burrows.

Roger Miles, a boatman in the area, claimed the problem has become more serious in recent months, saying: “Early night, dusk, early morning, rats everywhere actually.

There is a certain area where you can see parts of the cliffs of Castle Hill that have eroded away.

According to the Metera female rat typically has six litters a year, each consisting of up to 12 rat pups.

Residents are concerned that rodents are damaging the cliffs along the picturesque shoreline with their burrows.

Tenby is known for being a peaceful and picturesque seaside town.

As rats reach sexual maturity four to five weeks after birth, a population of two can give rise to a whopping 1,250 in the space of a year, with the potential to grow even larger.

Another local, Derek Brown, told the BBC: “The big concern is the structural damage they could be doing to the cliff face.”

The town’s mayor, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, said the council is “taking action” by helping to install dozens of bait boxes to eliminate rodents.

However, a local told The Sun: ‘You just can’t kill them faster than they can reproduce. Once they’re here, they’re here to stay.

A Pembrokeshire Council spokesman told the BBC it is “aware of the problems with rodents” and is working to address the problem.

Roger Miles (pictured), a boatman in the area, said the problem has become more serious in recent months, adding: “Early night, dusk, early morning, rats everywhere actually.” .

A population of two rats can give rise to a whopping 1,250 in the space of a year, with the potential to grow even larger.

The council is ‘taking action’ by helping to install dozens of bait boxes to get rid of rats.

A female rat typically has six litters a year, each consisting of up to 12 rat pups. (File Image)

Meanwhile, the council has urged the public not to feed the birds or drop food.

Ms Skyrme-Blackhall told The Guardian: ‘There are members of the public who feed the birds, who feed the rats. They think they are being nice, but that doesn’t help the problem at all.”

He added that people are not being responsible and are not properly disposing of their trash by putting food in their general trash, meaning rats find it.

The problem is being eradicated as we speak. Yes, there have been problems, but nothing on the volume that has been available,” she said.

MailOnline has contacted Pembrokeshire Council for further comment.