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Home Hove

Rats in park prompt concern from former councillor

by Frank le Duc
Monday 17 Feb, 2025 at 4:43PM
A A
16
Conservatives nominate veteran councillor to become next mayor of Brighton and Hove

Dawn Barnett

Rats have been spotted in a park in Hove, according to a former councillor who said that she was worried because the park was popular with children.

Dawn Barnett, who represented Hangleton and Knoll ward on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “There are rats as big as cats in Greenleas.”

The former Conservative councillor said last week: “People will end up putting poison down themselves and I worry about pets and the children who play there.

“We’ve got the school holidays coming up. Something’s got to be done about it.

“I phoned the council but they said they don’t have pest control any more. They said, it’s a park. What do you expect!

“It’s partly because the bins keep being missed. It’s not the binmen’s fault. We’ve got loads of new homes.

“They just get added on to their rounds and it’s no wonder when they can’t get them all done, especially when the weather’s bad.

Labour councillor Alan Robins, the council’s cabinet member for sports and recreation, urged anyone concerned about a rat infestation to report it.

Councillor Robin said: “We have an external pest control contractor who we work with to tackle rodent infestations in our public parks where rats have the potential to cause problems for park users.

“This work is commissioned on a case-by-case basis and in response to concerns raised by residents and following initial investigations by our parks team.

“We would always encourage residents to report any problems with rats in our parks directly to the council via our website.”

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Comments 16

  1. PalmeriaSeagull says:
    11 months ago

    Rats as big as cats? Really?!

    Perhaps it’s time to find a new hobby, Dawn.

    Reply
    • Boredofu says:
      11 months ago

      Serving her community is her hobby. what have you done to improve yours?

      Reply
  2. Ken says:
    11 months ago

    Go around rear of sainsbury and hove school the rats are prolific

    Reply
  3. Neil says:
    11 months ago

    Guess what Dawn, I spotted birds in the sky !!!

    Thank god your a only former councillor and not still on the council.

    Reply
    • Sam says:
      11 months ago

      Dawn was the best Ward Councillor we ever had. She knew and was known by a huge number of people up here in Hangleton. She turned up at all sorts of events and genuinely listened, and she spoke up for the people she represented. She is much missed by many of us. Not everyone liked her old-fashioned plain speaking, but I much prefer it to your snidey snarkiness Neil. I’m glad you’re not a Councillor.

      Reply
  4. Chris says:
    11 months ago

    Try anywhere on the seafront particularly Madeira terrace.

    Reply
  5. Ann E Nicky says:
    11 months ago

    Thank goodness that rat is no longer a councillor! And the kids can find somewhere else to do their drinking 😉

    Reply
    • Howrude says:
      11 months ago

      Do you feel good being rude about a woman in her 80s who has done nothing but try and improve her community? You must be so proud.

      Reply
      • BrightonResident says:
        11 months ago

        This was the woman who said just before the 2019 council elections said

        “If I owned one of the shops in the square and owned a pressure washer, I would turn it on them.”

        Then after the election said she was misinterpreted – – see the Argus 4th June 2019. It took her months to claim that.

        She was also found in breach of the councillors code of standards for making racist comments

        She’s no saint.

        Reply
        • Boredofu says:
          11 months ago

          Oh silly me I forgot! You have to be a saint to try and improve your community!

          But its ok to make sexist, misogynist, ageist and anti semitic comments as its Brighton!

          Heaven forbid an older lady makes a few comments. She is not a racist. Out of touch by liking those dolls yes, she is hardly NF.

          Maybe we should send these people who should not be hosed down round to sleep and relieve themselves in your door way and see what you say then.

          Reply
        • David Williams says:
          11 months ago

          You’re on weak ground when you twist someone’s words like that. She was talking about the mess being left in shop doorways, the piss and shit and vomit, and said she’d use a pressure washer if she had one, to clean up the mess. When you’re not twisting someone else’s words, presumably you’re accepting it’s all right to let people live in tents ansd squalor rather than trying to get their addictions treated and to find them proper accommodation like Dawn tried.
          She was also not found to have been racist, but training was recommended to engender greater sensitivity.
          Yes, she’s blunt and speaks plainly, but you’re unconscionably free and easy with the truth so you can smear someone who worked as a carer before representing her community. And you’re a coward who hides behind an anonymous user name.

          Reply
  6. Ten lords a farking says:
    11 months ago

    Large bipedal ones generally found in political constituency offices.

    Reply
  7. AllJustMeh says:
    11 months ago

    What about the rats in Hove Town Hall, should they prompt concern?

    Reply
    • MikeyMike says:
      11 months ago

      Don’t forget all the shirking from home council rats.

      Reply
  8. MikeyMike says:
    11 months ago

    There’s a particularly large rat living on Park View Road. He was baited and nearly caught a few weeks ago, but we live in hope that he’ll be caught once and for all soon. He can’t resist being close to the big cheese.

    Reply
  9. Brian Ferguson says:
    11 months ago

    I thought with the photo of this lady outside the Pavilion Palace she was referring to there ,I live across the street from the Pavilion and can’t believe that a Historic landmark is over run by rats in a mater of 15 minutes I seen 6 and in late September 2 running behind people’s back as they sat on the grass, please get it sorted it’s disgusting, and God knows what the tourists think

    Reply

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