EXCLUSIVE Video Exposes Glasgow’s Growing Rat Infestation Crisis
Film Captures Hotspot Rodent Infestation In City-Centre Lane
EXCLUSIVE by Gary Fanning
In EXCLUSIVE footage obtained by The Splash, a dozen rats can be seen scurrying through a lane in Glasgow City Centre.
The video shows rodents on the ground, with nightshift workers reacting in real-time as the pests scurry just feet away.
In another exclusive, our photographer Michael Jordan captured a striking image of a rat darting near bins also in Renfrew Lane, near Hope Street.
Boomtown rats A rat above scurrying near overflowing bins in Renfrew Lane. All photos by Michael Jordan
One worker could be heard saying: “There they are look. Look there’s another one. There’s a baby one by the looks of it. There they are again.”
Chris Mitchell, Convenor of GMB Glasgow, described the situation as “intolerable”.
He told The Splash: “We’re seeing rats everywhere, and they’re getting into homes. It’s impacting families and especially people with young kids.
Glasgow’s Rat Problem: 10,000 Complaints in 12 Months
Glasgow City Council logged 10,000 rat complaints last year, with 2000 of these reports involving infestations inside homes and flats.
Mr Mitchell says the problem has spiralled out of control, with reports of rats attacking people, contaminating public spaces, and spreading disease.
Rats can spread a range of potentially fatal diseases to humans, either through direct contact with their urine, faeces, saliva, or bites, or indirectly via fleas, ticks, or mites. These diseases include Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Leptospirosis, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV).
An NHS Freedom of Information request revealed that about 100 Glaswegians have been hospitalised with illnesses linked to rats.
“We’re at crisis point now,” Mr Mitchell said. “People are being hospitalised after touching contaminated surfaces or encountering rat urine. Yet, the services we rely on to control this are stretched to breaking point.”
Service Cuts Blamed For Glasgow’s Rat Explosion
Mr Mitchell blames the worsening infestation on years of cuts to pest control, environmental health, and refuse collections.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, refuse collections were reduced despite an increase in household waste as more people worked from home.
Mr Mitchell insisted this created a perfect storm for rats, which began moving into residential areas in search of food and shelter.
He added: “When we warned the council not to cut refuse collections during the pandemic, they didn’t listen.
“Now, rats are thriving in our communities, and it’s threatening public health on an unprecedented scale.”
Demand for Government Intervention Grows
Mr Mitchell is urging the Scottish Government to intervene, calling for the upcoming budget to restore frontline pest control services and refuse collection programs.
“We need boots on the ground,” he insisted. “Without urgent investment in pest control, refuse collection, and environmental health, this crisis will only worsen. The people of Glasgow deserve better.”
Glasgow City Council were asked to comment.
Analysis
Glasgow City Centre isn’t just dealing with a rat problem—it’s battling to protect its reputation.
The growing infestation is turning some of Glasgow’s most iconic areas into problem spots.
This isn’t just about rats—it’s about the city’s identity.
The presence of pests tarnishes the area’s reputation, threatens public health, and sends a troubling message about the state of urban upkeep.
For a place so vital to Glasgow’s cultural heartbeat, this is more than an inconvenience; it’s a wake-up call.
But for those living and working in the shadow of this infestation, it feels like the problem is growing faster than the solutions.
As Glasgow confronts this crisis, the need for effective solutions and long-term strategies becomes more urgent.