A report about rats in Blackburn Cathedral grounds (LT, June 9) says one cause is the miles of sewers and converted rivers under the streets.

To me, the real blame lies with some of the people who live in this town which has got dirtier over the years.

Take the area where I live – people will insist on putting food out in back alleys eg bread, rice etc.

A lot of people don’t keep their own space clean and some of the back yards are a nightmare.

Also, dumping goes on. If a mattress or a settee is dumped, a rat will rest in it. And rats breed at an alarming rate.

So to all the people who act like this, please stop it and have pride in your area, your town and yourselves.

If you don’t, we will be overrun by rats and the serious health problems they create.

H Hamer, Blackburn.