Giant rat leaves Londoner too scared to leave house

A large rat has been spotted in a North London garden watching the resident through a back door window - leaving her too scared to go outside.

The creature - estimated to be between 16 and 18 inches - was seen sniffing around the Belsize Park-based address before having a look inside the kitchen.

Resident Sam Firth, who snapped the pics, said: "It was bizarre, I was sat having a cup of tea when I spotted the rat staring back at me. I'm afraid to venture outside, the gigantic rodent had no fear."

The sighting comes after pest controllers' warnings about the rise of the super rat over the last year.

A number of giant rats, some the size of cats, have been spotted in a number of areas across the UK, and are resistant to traditional poisons.

In early February, a pest controller found a enormous 20-inch rat in Swindon - the largest ever found in the town.

Justin Holloway of Prokill found the giant rat and has warned the mutant rodents are 'closing in' on Swindon.

According to the Mirror, Justin said: "One particular strain of rats were not so susceptible to rodenticides or the anti-coagulants served and, as a percentage of the total rat population, they become greater over time.

"As far as resistance is concerned, it is a growing issue and over a period of time I expect this to be a greater problem than it currently is, but establishing a time frame is harder."

Last year, a number of huge rats were founded in towns across the UK, including one in Liverpool that measured two feet, and one in Gloucestershire the width of a shovel.