Reading's rat population has exploded over the course of the coronavirus pandemic - new figures show.

Research from Reading-based Pest Control company Pest.co.uk shows there are now an estimated 343,149 rats in Reading, which means you truly are only ever six feet away from one of the rodents.

This means there are now 2.2 rats for every person in Reading.

The company says rats have been 'breeding like crazy' during the lockdown, making their nests in empty buildings with poor waste practices.

The figures show the number of rats in infestations the company has been called to has been 25 per cent larger in 2020 than 2019.

Rats have six litters of six and 12 pups a year.

Jenny Rathbone, from the company, explained: “We are seeing a huge increase in rat problems throughout Reading as lockdown has really helped them breed in relative peace with closed properties with poor waste management practices providing them with plentiful food and shelter."

Join BerkshireLive and sign up to our newsletter

If you want to stay in the know with all the latest news, reviews and features from BerkshireLive then you can sign up to our daily newsletter email.

Each day we'll be sending you a selection of our top stories from across our county, as well as breaking news so you can be the first to know.

Signing up to the BerkshireLive newsletter means you'll get the latest news direct to your inbox every day. It couldn't be simpler and it takes seconds - simply press here OR here, enter your email address and follow the instructions.

People living in the Coley Park area are likely to agree with the findings after years of problems with "cat-sized rats."

Another mum said her children were "terrified" and did not want to visit their granddad in the area because of the problem.

Another family in a house in Reading town centre also had major problems back in 2015.

The slightly better news for people in Reading is that the town has not made the top 10 of the UK's rat towns.

London is very much indeed a Pied Piper, with staggering 19.9 million rats.

In a distant second was Birmingham with 2.4 millon.

Jenny added: “The problem we have right now is that rats are trying to bed down for winter, and this will happen when we get a few cold snaps."

The company advises people and businesses in Reading take a number of measures to stop rats over the course of the winter.

These include:

  • Blocking up any holes in brickwork, shed door and external walls.
  • Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean.
  • Make sure food is not left out, tidy away open food sources and keep floors and worktops clean of crumbs.
  • Prepare traps to stop any future infestation. It is better to use rat poison than scraps of food.

Jenny added: "The main thing to remember is rats need food and shelter to breed, so any food source should be quickly cleaned away – keeping bin and yard areas clean and tidy is key to keeping rats under control."