A MAN has described his shock over brazen rats in one Bradford's best-loved parks.

Mark Davis, an author from Haworth was out walking in Lister Park, Manningham, on Sunday afternoon, but said when he got to the lake area, he was "astonished to see rats coming in and out of the wall and feeding on the bird seed".

He added: "I know the saying that you are only ever six foot away from a rat but these were so brazen and only ran away when our dog, Rueben decided to go for it."

Rats in Lister Park have been an ongoing issue and Bradford Council said it has been been working to tackle the problem.

A Bradford Council spokesperson, said: “Lister Park is a beautiful public space and we ask everyone to please keep it clean and free of food waste. Rats feed on the litter and food people leave in the park, often intended as bird food, but leaving food contributes to vermin outbreaks.

“Recently, we have increased warden patrols in the park to educate people and where necessary, issue littering fixed penalty notices. We have also placed extra signs around the lake asking people not to feed the birds."

Mr Davis took to Facebook to share a picture of the creature, which received hundreds of comments.

One person said: "I went there today with my family and it was overrun with rats near the lake. I won't be in a rush to visit again."

Another added: "Went past a few weeks ago a family of about 15 - brazen, walked alongside me."

However, others said that rats are everywhere and it is not related to the park itself.

"Lister Park is the best kept park in Bradford. It's received many awards over the years and continues to get them. Rats are everywhere no matter how well a place is kept clean," another added.

The Friends of Lister Park group have been trying to keep on top of the issue and are working with the Council to find a solution.

Sohail Ahmed, a committee member of the group, said: "Many of our members get sent regular videos of the rats they are seeing in the park.

"One of the main triggers is people leaving food for the ducks which promotes rats in the area. We have a meeting planned with the local wardens to come up with strategies to solve this growing problem."