Rat problem atRye station area

One councillor has described the area as ‘a rat’s mansion’.

Overgrown brambles are also causing a hazard to pedestrians in the area.

Now the council is calling on rail company Southern to tidy up land it owns around the station.

Rye Town Clerk Richard Farhall said: “There have been lots of verbal and written approaches about an area of unkempt vegetation.”

Deputy Mayor Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore said: “There have been problems with rats there and the vegetation traps rubbish.

“You cannot even call it a planted area any more - it has become a wilderness.”

Cllr Ian Potter said: “Something urgently needs to be done about this rat’s mansion.”

Cllr Jonathan Breeds said: “Brambles have become dangerous to pedestrians. It badly needs seeing to.”

Mr Farhall said he was aware of two attempts by Southern Railways to seek local volunteers to tidy up the area.

Cllr Heidi Foster reported that she and several other volunteers had decided to tackle the areas but had to abandon it after encountering excessive regulation.

The area used to be managed by the Rye in Bloom committee which no longer exists.

Cllr Granville Bantick suggested the overgrown areas should be hard-surfaced and planters installed.

Rye Mayor Shaun Rogers said hard-standing may also create good locations for positioning a new memorial bench.