FEARS a growing rat population may be destroying wildlife in a Darwen park have been highlighted by a community group.

Committee members of the Friends of Bold Venture Park have noticed that the amount of ducks and geese in the pond has been falling in recent months.

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Despite some of the ducks and geese returning in recent days, there is still concerns park visitors are throwing foods to them that are attracting the rats and making them ‘fat’.

Cllr Eileen Entwistle said: “There used to be quite a lot of ducks and geese but there doesn’t seem to be as much wildlife at the moment.

“Sometimes it is just the time of year and we do find the that the number comes and goes but some of the food people have thrown to the ducks has caused a lot of rats to appear around the pond.

“Some of them are coming back but it won’t stay that way if people keep throwing all this food about.

“I’ve seen people basically throw in full meals. It’s bad enough when it’s just bread but when you start bringing in meat and rice and all sorts it really attracts the rats.

“It’s so sad because it’s a wonderful park and the wildlife is very popular.

“I would urge people not to feed the ducks as the friends group does this anyway.”

Rats began to plague the Belgrave Road park back in February after the friends group reported that piles of food had been repeatedly dumped around the lake.

Food such as eggs, salad and naan breads had been scattered around the lake.

Cllr Dave Smith said that since then the rat population has continued to be an issue.

He said: “People think they are feeding the ducks but they are actually feeding the rats.

“Bread isn’t good for the ducks regardless and I think as more are coming in it’s scaring the wildlife off.

“Some of the rats are getting very fat with the food that is being given to them so I would ask people to stop throwing food in the pond so that we can try to eradicate this problem.”