IT’S the Birmingham ward where the phrase “you dirty rat” is an all too real problem.

Washwood Heath racked up the city’s highest number of rat complaints – 3,051 – from January 2008 to last December.

The reasons were put down to the area’s densely-populated streets playing host to several takeaways and the fact it draws thousands of shoppers as a hub of the Asian fashion scene.

Also high up the list with 2,871 complaints was Bordesley Green, followed by Soho with 2,648.

In Birmingham a total of 44,000 complaints were made about rats in gardens and 14,000 complaints about rats in houses.

But rats are not just a problem confined to the inner city, with Freedom of Information Act figures showing Birmingham City Council’s pest control department received around 55 complaints every day over the three-year period.

(Below: Map shows city pest control complaints by ward between January 2008-Dec 2010)

Vermin, particularly rats, can spread fatal illnesses like Leptospirosis, more commonly known as Weil’s disease.

The bug can cause mild flu-like symptoms or, in severe cases, multiple organ failure and internal bleeding.

Mushtaq Hussain, town centre manager for Washwood Heath, said there were a number reasons for the area’s vermin problem.

He said: “It is a densely populated area with a very busy commercial high street.

“There are a lot of takeaways. That, and the number of people walking along the area, causes a problem. Thousands of visitors come to Alum Rock Road every week because of the Asian fashion clothing, then they eat out and that impacts on the amount of rubbish.”

Washwood Heath Labour councillor Ansal Ali Khan said the issue of vermin control was of concern to voters and predicted the problem would get worse.

“Because of cuts by the Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition, our ward lost two neighbourhood officers and our environmental wardens earlier this year,” he said.

“Those officers were doing excellent work tackling these kinds of issues.” The figures also revealed that cockroaches, bedbugs and wasps have also caused problems for residents.

Sparkbrook was the worst ward for cockroaches, while Hall Green topped the list for wasps.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Eustace, the chairman of the council’s public protection committee, argued the figures had actually been falling year on year, thanks to a proactive approach by the authority.

“We do things now like go out and find vermin without waiting for complaints,” he said.

>>>Cuts to Birmingham’s environmental health department will exacerbate rat problem>>>