GIANT rats are besieging a Barry Island street, according to appalled residents.

Concerned residents of Clive Place have said that "enormous" overgrowth is acting as a "sanctuary" for vermin who seem to been displaced by the nearby building work at the Westhaven development.

Sarah Evans, 40, spoke of her "horror" at having to rush her four-month-old golden retriever to a vet after it picked up a rodent in its mouth.

She said: "Poor Jackson was so ill. We rushed him to the vets and hoped that he would be fine.

"It cost us £700 to get him better again - it was very serious.

"The building work appears to be causing rats to find new shelter - like the overgrowth near us."

On Tuesday, September 13 Leon Charles, 60, and other residents decided to "push for something to be done about the rat infestation" after frequently spotting rats in their gardens as well as dead ones on the pavement and road.

Mr Charles, a TV extra who has also made an appearance on Doctor Who, said: "I have a running battle with the rats since I moved here but over the past year it has become terrible.

"It is a regular occurrence to spot mice and rats coming up from the overgrowth. I am pushing for the overgrowth to be cut right back, hoping that they will leave."

The 60-year-old added: "I am desperate for something to happen - what would happen if a rat bit a child?"

Beth Sutcliffe, 46, another resident, said: "I don't allow my grandchildren in the back garden alone because of seeing rats in the garden."

Councillor Gwyn John, cabinet member for visible, leisure and regulatory services, said that the council had received and dealt with one complaint about rodents in the area.

He said: “Environmental officers will now revisit the site to discuss the matter with local residents and determine if further action needs to be taken.

"If there is an issue, this will be raised with the owners or developers of the land nearby.

"While it would be the responsibility of the landowner to address any potential problem with pests, the council provides a comprehensive service to help them do so.

"If necessary, the council can also take enforcement action to combat the problem of pests.”

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes East Wales - the house building company working on Westhaven - confirmed only that there has been no issue with rats at the development itself.