Rat sightings rose 15% during Britain's hottest summer on record, with Manchester seeing the biggest jump

Pest control firm Rentokil recorded a 26% year-on-year rise in rodent control inquiries in Manchester, outpacing Oxford at 24% and Leeds and Bradford at 23%. Five UK cities saw double-digit increases between 2024 and 2025. The company attributes the surge to densely populated, round-the-clock urban environments that offer rats ample opportunity to flourish. As temperatures drop, rats are expected to move inside in search of warmth, pointing to worse to come.

Rentokil's Paul Blackhurst: 'Rats don't distinguish between a clean building and a dirty one.'

A brown rat requires around 60ml of water each day, which draws it toward properties during dry periods.

Some 43% of Britons say a run-in with a rat frightens them.