Mystery over reports of giant rats

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“super rats” from South America could be at large and speculation the creature may in fact have been a coypu - a plant-eating semi-aquatic rodent originally native to South America..

The animal was introduced into England in the 1920s for fur farming but eradicated in 1989.

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According to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) there have been no confirmed sightings of coypus in the wild since the 1980s.

A spokesman said: “Natural England keep a record of all sightings of non-native species and there have been about 11 sightings of coypus in the last 10 years, all of which were found to be inconclusive.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Carol Beardmore voiced scepticism about the suggestions the estate was swarming with hundreds of giant rodents.

“I live on the estate and while I’m not saying we don’t have rats – everywhere has rats – I am not aware of an infestation of giant rats.”

So far this year the council has received 992 reports of rats.