Rats pose a risk to public health because they can carry a variety of diseases dangerous to humans, while their presence is deeply distressing for residents.

They also cause huge damage to buildings every year – gnawing through wood, pipes, cables and even concrete.

So to learn that they may be thriving in certain areas of the district is of great concern.

Never mind that other towns and cities have similar problems from time to time, it is not something we want here.

Of course, there have been rats in sewers as long as anyone can remember and efforts must always be ongoing to control this population.

But some people also need to realise that their thoughtlessness could be making that task much more difficult.

Tony Huddlestone, Yorkshire Water’s contracts manager for rat catching in the county’s sewer network, says many people just throw rubbish on to the ground rather than in a bin, which is helping the animals thrive and encouraging them to come to the surface. Any food not disposed of properly – from the casually-discarded remains of a burger to rubbish bags left to pile up outside – is a potential feast for these resourceful rodents.

No-one wants to be living with a rat problem, so everyone must do their bit.