ACTION is being taken to crack down on a rat problem in one of the region's seaside resorts.Rats are increasingly being spotted in and around the seafront gardens and cliffs area during the day in Clacton.

ACTION is being taken to crack down on a rat problem in one of the region's seaside resorts.

Rats are increasingly being spotted in and around the seafront gardens and cliffs area during the day in Clacton.

Tendring District Council has launched an effort to drive the disease-ridden vermin out of town.

The council is going to put up signs urging people not to feed birds in the affected areas.

Traders will also be reminded to take care of their rubbish. They are asked not to leave it uncovered by their premises and must use the trade waste collection service and appropriate bins prior to pick-up.

The council is considering cutting back overgrown areas to allow for any accumulated waste to be more easily cleared.

More litter bins are to be installed in the neighbourhood and the council's cleaning contractor, Onyx, will carry out more frequent picking of the area.

Bags of rubbish collected or emptied from litterbins will be cleared away as soon as possible.

Tendring District Council environment portfolio holder said: “Members of the public can assist by placing their litter in the bins provided or by taking it home with them.

“Unwanted or spilt food items should not be carelessly dropped or left lying on the ground - it is bound to be attractive to any pests scavenging for food.”

He added: “The council can and will take enforcement action against any trader not correctly managing his business waste, and we will prosecute any members of the public caught littering our streets.”

Leisure services portfolio holder Pierre Oxley, who has special responsibility for seafront areas, said: “We are doing all that we can to address this issue, but we do need the assistance of local people, visitors, and traders to help combat a problem that spoils tourists and residents' enjoyment of our town.”