Rat sightings surge 15% after Britain's hottest summer on record as experts warn colder weather could drive rodents into homes

Manchester is the worst-hit city, with calls about rodents up 26% on last year, ahead of Oxford on 24% and Leeds & Bradford on 23%. Pest firm Rentokil blames crowded, round-the-clock cities that give rats more chances to breed. Paul Blackhurst, head of Rentokil's Technical Academy, said a brown rat needs 'around 60ml of water every day'. The heat pushed them closer to people in search of it.

Rat sightings have been reported by 65% of Britons over the past year.

The problem is severe enough that 31% of homeowners would consider putting their property on the market to escape it.

Blackhurst insists: 'Rats don't distinguish between a clean building and a dirty one.'