RATS have begun to plague a Darwen park after a friends group reported that piles of food had been repeatedly dumped around the main lake.

The Friends of Bold Venture Park reported that food such as eggs, salad, naan breads and rice had been scattered around the lake and that a man had also been seen carrying bin bags into the park out of a van.

Harry Duxbury, chairman of the friends group, said he was unhappy at how the park was being treated and has urged residents to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

He said: "I am disgusted and angered by the disrespect that has been shown by whoever is dumping this food in the park.

"We are dedicated people who try and look after the place and I do not like what is happening. The rats are multiplying when they see the food and it's getting pretty nasty.

"We are looking to investigate the issue further and are suspecting the food may be coming from a man who has been seen dumping bin bags near the lake.

"It's happened three or four times and I would encourage anyone who sees anything to report it immediately."

The park off Belgrave Road has been a hot spot for vandalism in the past where teenagers have been spotted uprooting bulbs from flowerbeds, throwing stones at the war memorial and being noisy and rowdy.

Concerns around food being strewn around the lake were brought up at the last meeting of the friends group.

Cllr Dave Smith, of the Sunnyhurst Ward, who attended the meeting, said the situation was bizarre and that he was desperate to find out the number plate of the van that had been appearing at the park recently.

He said: "There's been rice and salad dumped as well as bread and the rats are getting pretty fat from eating it.

"I'm suspecting the guy who seems to be dumping it there may be from some kind of takeaway but if anyone can find the number plate of this van that's been appearing we'd be grateful for the information and can report it to police.

"It's a very pretty park and we don't want this happening to it."