Britain is being overrun by randy rodents during lockdown, according to pest controllers.
A rat
The coronavirus pandemic has provided a ''perfect storm'' for rats to multiply, with closed businesses and a fall in rubbish collections leading to a spike in the number or rats on the streets of the UK.
The rodents have taken advantage of abandoned offices, which have become hotspots for infestations.
Paul Blackhurst, from Rentokil, said the company saw a 79 percent increase in website visits compared to this time last year and wanred that the problem could get worse.
He said: ''Unoccupied office buildings across the country could be providing rodents with an opportunity to breed.
''This, combined with the fact that fewer rodents will have died off this winter, which was the warmest European winter on record, means populations could multiply very quickly.
''Rats have a gestation period of 21 to 23 days and will have five to 10 pups per litter. So two rats can multiply to almost 500 million rodents in just three years if breeding conditions remain ideal.''