Rats in Potters Field Park

Several people have mentioned to me that there is still a colony of rats living in the bushes between the park and the vacant site behind the school. I really think that this is totally unacceptabe when so many children use the park. Please could anyone else who has seen them post a message here and it will help me put pressure on Southwark to get rid of them.

I've also seen rats here almost every time I walk past. I last saw some happily scampering around yesterday as people sat enjoying the sun on the grass nearby. I'm not surprised that there are so many rats given the number of food vans that stand nearby - burger van, ice cream van as well as hot nut sellers. I'm not sure whether these traders are licensed or not - does anybody know?

I wonder whether the London Assembly are aware that they share their locality with such delightful company!?!

I expect the London Assembly is aware that they are near rats: it is said that you are never more than 20 feet from a rat in London, and I'd have thought that distance is much shorter nearer the river.

Is a rat really going to attack a child playing in a park?

Maybe you should contact the Daily Mail, they would love an inflammatory and alarmist story such as this.

As TLMJJ says, there are and always will be millions of rats in London and they don't really cause us humans much trouble.

In London you are only ever 7 feet away from a rat, apparently

20, 7 - who the hell is measuring?

I dont think the rats would actually approach anyone unless they were eating mc.donalds! the trouble is that rats carry Wiles disease...and they are i have been told incontinent, the urine goes onto the grass etc., and if a child falls, or has a cut then they are in trouble if the urine gains access to the body...reading that back its a bit daft.....but wiles disease is very serious.

Hi Alan, I used to cut through the park on my way to work & always met at least 2 rats having breakfast on the footpath between the park & the grass area beside the mayor's office. After a rat jumped out of a bin in the park infront of me my imagination ran riot with every squirrel's sprint being a suspect rat so I now chose to walk on the footpath along the river. Whilst we may all only be a short distance away from a rat, these cheeky beggars don't even scarper when people approach - maybe that's cos everyone else legs it like me when they see one!!

Jan the old one Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I dont think the rats would actually approach
> anyone unless they were eating mc.donalds! the
> trouble is that rats carry Wiles disease...and
> they are i have been told incontinent, the urine
> goes onto the grass etc., and if a child falls, or
> has a cut then they are in trouble if the urine
> gains access to the body...reading that back its a
> bit daft.....but wiles disease is very serious.

Weils Disease is very serious, but is also extremely rare, according to the NHS: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?TopicID=285&AreaID=553&LinkID=156

Thats a relief T.L.M.J.J...I was going to take a machine gun to the little buggers if i saw any in my garden!...:-)