Rat poison found on beach

Worried strollers contacted Rother environmental health department and police.

The Observer told in its August 29 issue how Rother has been forced to bait holes in the cliff face at Galley Hill because of an infestation of rats.

The fast-breeding rats have been attracted by the food scraps discarded beside the car park at the top of Galley Hill by careless motorists using the beauty spot.

Coastguards joined forces with Rother pest control officers in the operation, lowering them over the crumbling cliff edge on ropes.

After inserting packets of rat poison in each of more than a dozen rat holes, they hammered chicken wire seals over the holes to prevent the poison falling out again.

Dave Palmer said last Friday: "I was walking on the beach beneath Galley Hill last night when we found a packet of rat poison.

"The bag was open. There were about three holes gnawed in it and the pellets were coming out.

"We reported it to the police and to environmental health but neither of them seemed particularly interested.

"We were thinking of campaigning to the council to get them to stop people littering up there."

Rother environmental health officer Richard Parker-Harding said the poison should not be harmful to dogs. He explained: "It's an anti-coagulant which, only if ingested in quite large doses over a number of days, stops the blood clotting and causes death.

"If a small amount of the pellets were eaten by a dog they should not be harmful and the owner would know instantly because they produce a blue dye.

"They are also covered in a very unappetising wax so there's no reason why a dog should be interested in eating them."

He said the pellets were likely to have been displaced by the rat movement and assured the Observer he would investigate the situation.

He added: "Though we do take the utmost care with poisons it's difficult to avoid some displacement due to the rats scurrying around."