Almost 400 rat sightings reported at Glasgow council buildings, figures show

More than 380 rat sightings in Glasgow council offices and buildings have been reported over the last three financial years, new figures reveal.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request found that between April 2022 and April 2023 there were 125 “rat issues actioned” in council properties compared to 129 for April 2021 to 2022.

The figure sat at 131 for the financial year 2020 to 2021 meaning that the total number of rodents reported to Glasgow City Council over the last three years sits at 385.

Glasgow City Council says they are “committed to maintaining a good level of hygiene” and removing any food sources that might cause infestation.

But the GMB says the figures obtained through the FOI request by the local democracy reporting service only highlight the seriousness of the problem.

Chris Mitchell, GMB convenor for cleansing, said: “I think these figures are still shocking and are not anything to be proud of.

“It just shows there is a problem with rats, not just within communities but in council buildings as well. The figures have not gone down that much over the last three years, it is still pretty serious.

“I don’t think the council can deny the problems the GMB has been highlighting over the last few years that Glasgow has a massive infestation problem. I would be interested to see how much damage has actually been caused by this.”

Glasgow City Council says that the measures in place shows that they are making progress in reducing incidents at these properties.

A spokesman said: “Glasgow City Council’s pest control service endeavour to respond to all rat complaints within our service level agreement and, like our free public service, treat until the infestation is controlled.

“The proofing measures identified on site are passed to our maintenance contractor ensuring a quick turnaround of repairs, required to deter any further rodent ingress into our buildings.

“Finally, we remain committed to maintaining a good level of hygiene at our properties, removing any alternative food sources that may encourage rat infestations in the first place. These measures show progress in reducing reports/incidents at these properties.”