Thrown-out food and takeaway waste are being blamed for making rats get "bigger and bigger" after a 22-inch (55cm) long rodent was found in a house. It was discovered in a home in Normanby near Middlesbrough and residents said an increase in vermin numbers was being made worse by new housing developments forcing them out of their habitats.

A 22-inch rat has been discovered in a home in North Yorkshire, prompting fears from locals of an infestation in the area. The rat was uncovered by a pest controller who had been called to the property in Normanby, near Middlesbrough. It is said to be one of the biggest ever found on British shores.

Local officials in North Yorkshire, England, shared a photo of a massive rat found inside a local home that measured more than 22 inches from nose to tail.