Rats 'the size of rabbits' on Newport street plagued by fly-tipping

Rats "the same size as a rabbit" have infested a city street where fly-tipping is an ongoing problem, residents say. People living on Pottery Road in Pillgwenlly, Newport, say it has become a "dumping ground" for bagged waste and discarded household items, while the disused and overgrown sections of the street have an "infestation of rats". Newport is the worst local authority in Wales for recorded fly-tipping incidents, according to Stats Wales, with 7,318 incidents recorded between 2024 and 2025. Newport City Council said it was "as sick of fly-tipping in our city as our residents are", adding that it was removing rubbish from the street every day and taking enforcement action. Shane Williams, 48, who owns a property on Pottery Road, said the rats had been a problem on the street for more than 18 months. He said one older woman on the street "was too scared to go out because of the fly tipping [and] rats, it's a bit disgusting". He said they were "the same size as a rabbit". David Wall, who has lived on the street for 44 years, said the piles of dumped black bags had contained dirty nappies, food waste and even a dead rat which caused a ghastly smell. David, 63, said the last few