Council to introduce hordes of rats into town centre to deal with pigeon problem

Council leaders are hoping to put an end to the Diss’ longstanding pigeon problems by introducing hundreds of feral rats into the town.

For years, business owners in the town have grown frustrated with the amount of pigeon droppings caused by residents persistently choosing to feed the birds.

Following numerous unsuccessful attempts to prevent people from doing so, the council has now subcontracted a private pest-control firm to introduce hordes of feral rats into to the town centre, with the hope that the rodents will snap up any bread before the pigeons can get to it – thus forcing the birds to flock elsewhere in search for food.

Roughly 100 rats will be let loose in the town every week until the first week of May, targeted mainly around The Mere’s Mouth – where most people feed the pigeons.

Officials will be hoping that when well-meaning residents throw bread for the pigeons, the rats will sweep in and intercept the feeding process, sabotaging the pigeons’ food supply.

A spokesperson for the council, April Sloof, said: “The issue of pigeon droppings in Diss has been well-documented, and needless to say, it is making our town centre unsightly and creating needless problems for business owners and shoppers alike.

“We appreciate that this approach may not be conventional, but we have exhausted all other possible options.

“As we have seen in larger cities, rodents will sweep up any food dropped on the floor, and crucially, they can do it faster than pigeons.”

Happy April Fools Day, and please remember to not feed the pigeons. Not only do their droppings make the town centre look unsightly, it is expensive to clean, and they can also contain dangerous pathogens.