Numerous rats were spotted in the centre High Wycombe earlier this week.

Video footage obtained by the Bucks Free Press shows the rodents by a huge tree near the town’s All Saints Parish Church along Castle Street.

The clip, although grainy, picks up at least seven animals in the area but according to a witness, there were ‘around 15 to 20 rats’ sitting, eating and running by the tree.

Some then scattered away into several nearby bushes.  

They were seen in the evening of Tuesday, June 11.

It is not the first time that the creatures have been spotted in area.

In October 2023, it was reported that many rats were seen along White Hart Street, which is only a short walk from All Saints Church.

Several rodents were also seen in bins outside a property along Castle Street in March.

What problems do rats cause?

Rats feed on discarded food, either that has been found in bins or that has been littered, and can get up to the size of around 30cm.

They are distinct due to their long tails and can pass diseases such as food poisoning.

In fact, fleas living on black rats primarily caused around 50 million deaths during the bubonic plague between 1346 and 1353.

The pandemic was widespread across Europe and North Africa.