A WOMAN who feeds birds every morning in a rat-infested town is being threatened with an Anti-social behaviour order.Tendring District Council has been cracking down on a rat problem in Clacton all summer – and is hoping to have beaten it by the start of the next summer season.

A WOMAN who feeds birds every morning in a rat-infested town is being threatened with an Anti-social behaviour order.

Tendring District Council has been cracking down on a rat problem in Clacton all summer - and is hoping to have beaten it by the start of the next summer season.

As part of its action, the council has put up 50 posters around the seafront asking people not to feed birds or drop litter as it attracts rats.

But an elderly woman is ignoring the council's pleas and feeding two bags of bread to birds in the town centre early ever morning.

She goes to Christmas Tree Island in the town centre at between 7am and 7.30am most days to feed the birds.

Council officers and cabinet member Pierre Oxley, who is also the chairman of Clacton Chamber of Trade, have spoken to the woman and asked her not to feed the birds, partly because it makes such a mess and also because it attracts rats.

Mr Oxley said: “We are hopeful she'll just stop doing what she's doing. If not, there's a legal process we can go down, such as an ASBO or fixed penalty notice. If she continues to do this, we'll tell her a couple of times and then we will take action.”

The council has put 38 bait boxes on the seafront and has asked Anglian Water to lay poison bait in the main sewers serving the area.

Rubbish is being collected more regularly from town centre bins, many of which have been replaced with bins which include bait boxes.

There are also more frequent litter picking and street cleaning patrols throughout the area.

Mr Oxley said: “The rats are starting to go. The latest figures the amount of rats killed is exceptional. We think we'll get on top of it for next year.”

He said a cold winter would kill off rats and the end of the tourist season enables the council to put down more bait.