A rat was discovered hiding inside a baby's cot amid a surge in rodents invading homes during lockdown.
Pest controllers were called to reports of a rat in a Stoke-on-Trent home, where they discovered the live animal 'staring at them' inside the cot.
Mike Flynn, the boss of Heron Cross-based Alpha Pest Control, was called out by a worried father who spotted the rat scuttling across the upstairs landing and heading into the toddler's bedroom.
He searched the room for the animal’s hiding place without success.
The chase finally ended with a decisive blow to the head.
Mike shared the alarming tale after seeing a rise in the number of rats invading homes across the Potteries during lockdown as they search for food.
He declined to reveal where in the city the incident took place.
Mike said: “If a rat is hiding it can be difficult to find them. We have ferrets and dogs to help on our behalf but still, if they don't want to be found, it can be tricky.
"We arrived at this one address and did a search. We had turned a bedroom upside down trying to find a rat but no one had thought to look in the cot.
“I remember picking up the pillow and being just as horrified as the rat that stared back at me.”
During his 40 years in pest control, Mike is lucky to have never been bitten.
He added: "I've had a rat launch itself at my nose before now but thankfully I've never been bitten.
"They can be quite aggressive. We know they are more opportunistic and braver at the moment which explains why we are seeing them more in the day."
StokeonTrentLive readers have also shared their horror stories of rats plaguing their homes.
Marie Meszaros revealed her aunt had a nasty encounter with a rat swimming up her drain and into the toilet.
She said: "After that she always put a brick on top of toilet lid and would check before sitting down."
Susannah Lowndes added: "They are everywhere. We had them to when we moved in our property but they've all gone now. We had one in the attic."
