Pest controllers called to land at Toddington Services after claims of rat infestation

A company which controls the Toddington motorway services is to send in the rat catchers after pictures revealed an infestation of the rodents.

Moto Services is taking action after claims rats were coming onto the site from the newly harvested fields around the northbound services on the M1.

"It is as if every bin on the field side of the lorry park has its own designated infestation," said one man who captured the swarm on camera. "I could see a great many moving around the rear of the lorries and trailers.

"Sizes varied from adults of about a foot long, to young juveniles, which shows they are breeding successfully.

"The rat proof fencing is smashed and useless where trailers have hit them and the rats use the fence to reach the bins which are pushed up to the fence itself.

"Some drivers still urinate and defecate behind the trailers, despite the toilet facilities close by at the services. The rats naturally carry diseases and the ground at the rear of the trailers is used by truckers to check their loads, before they head into the services.

"Moto has to clean up its act at Toddington."

Moto said: "We are aware that the proximity of open fields, water and our location, with food, creates an environment for unwelcome visitors. However, we are satisfied there has been no incursion into the site’s amenity building, which is some 50 metres from the location of this particular sighting on the perimeter of Moto’s land, adjacent to a farmer’s field.

"However, because we take all situations such as this very seriously we have instructed a specialist team of pest controllers to make a wide-ranging sweep of both our northbound and southbound sites".

READ THIS: Hundreds of jobs at risk at Vauxhall's Luton plant due to vital parts shortage caused by pandemic