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Time’s up for thriving rat population

The project development team moved swiftly to bring in Pest Express Ltd, a council-approved firm of rat catchers to clear the area before the bulldozers could move in to clear up the site.The rats have thrived on the site that has been derelict for more than 20 years, set up a comfortable home among the piles of rubble and earth.It was vital to eliminate the rats before clearance work began, because the bulldozers would simply have disturbed their nests and scattered the infestation to other places in Wisbech.

Over the last few weeks the rats have been lured to hidden and secure feeding stations where they have been busily eating poisoned bait.The Nene Development Project is the largest single regeneration project to have ever taken place in Fenland. It will transform the economic fortunes of Wisbech and the Fens, attracting a greater diversity of businesses to the area and increase the number of visitors.

Chris Bowers, Nene Development project manager, said: "As soon as we were able to purchase the site, we moved quickly to tackle the rat problem. The rats had had a free run for 20 years, but now we have the problem under control and we can begin the process of safely clearing the site ready for builders to move on and develop it at the end of May.