BORTH residents are being urged to play their part after numerous reports of rat sightings in the village.

The community council says is has been contacted by the public over numerous rat sightings in the village.

Borth Community Council said: "Councillors have been proactive in visiting local establishments that have been highlighted as causing concern.

"We have also contacted Ceredigion County Council about sightings.

"As we all have a part to play, please remember as residents that as the weather gets colder and food becomes scarce, how you keep your food waste, bird feed and other foodstuffs really does effect rats in our community.

Please keep food waste in sealed bins, seeds and nuts in secure storage and clean up anything you feel could attract rats.

"We’ll continue to remind local businesses and the council of all our joint responsibilities."

Ceredigion County Council scrapped its pest control service earlier this year as part of cost saving measures, passed by councillors in February as part of its budget for 2024/25.

Two jobs were lost by the scrapping of this service, which saved the county council around £64,000.

Ceredigion council says on its website: "There is no legal duty for a local authority to provide such a service and in common with many other local authorities, we have had to make difficult but necessary choices about which frontline services to preserve.

"Under the provisions of The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 owners and/or occupiers are responsible for keeping their own land free from rats/mice, not the Council.

"We advise you to contact a private pest control company rather than tackle the problem directly yourself."

A report to Ceredigion councillors when they made budget decisions on 29 February this year stated: “Providing a pest control service using the current business model is no longer sustainable at a time when the Public Protection Service is facing challenging budgetary pressures.

“The cessation of the pest control service will provide opportunities for local private pest control services to gain new customers and ease the financial pressure on the Public Protection’s budget.