Rats cause problem at waterfront

Jersey's health protection officers are looking into the problem of rats down at the waterfront.

The rodents are believed to be brown rats which can cause the bacterial infection Weil's disease passed on in their urine.

At the moment it is not clear how big the problem is or where the animals are coming from.

Several bait boxes are in place in Les Jardins de la Mer to target the increasing population.

The reproduction capabilities of rats mean one breeding pair can produce a colony of an estimated 2,000 in just a year.

Weil's is a water-borne disease which can kill if left untreated.

The symptoms are flu-like initially with a severe deterioration after five days.