Leeds is the third-most rat-infested city in the UK.
While London naturally tops the grim chart, with a whopping 20 million rats estimated to live in the capital, Leeds is above the likes of Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool to claim an unwanted podium position.
Rats across Leeds are said to have been "breeding like crazy" in lockdown and litters can total up to 12 pups.
It has led to the city's population of the disease-spreading rodents soaring to 1.6 million and means there are 2.2 rats for every person in Leeds.
Jenny Rathbone, from Leeds-based pest control company Pest.co.uk, said: "We are seeing a huge increase in rat problems throughout Leeds as lockdown has really helped them breed in relative peace with closed properties with poor waste management practices providing them with plentiful food and shelter.
"The problem we have right now is that rats are trying to bed down for Winter, and this will happen when we get a few cold snaps.
"The main thing to remember is rats need food and shelter to breed, so any food source should be quickly cleaned away – keeping bin and yard areas clean and tidy is key to keeping rats under control."
