Residents at a block of flats have been left "living in hell" after a gang of rats invaded their communal backyard.

Homeowners on Earl Street in Glasgow say they're "terrified" to even take the bins out because the "huge" rodents roam the backyard day and night time in packs of as much as 20, Glasgow Live reviews.

Brenda and Edward Smith have lived of their ground-floor property since 1978 however say the issue has gotten worse during the last yr with the rodents being seen extra regularly.

Ms Smith stated she is "frightened" and "terrified" to exit.

The 65-year-old stated: "I am frightened to take the bin out and always take a stick with me and make a noise when I am going into the bins because they are constantly in the bins.

"They run behind all of the crops, they arrive out into the grass and run up and down on daily basis."

Ms Smith recalled one time she took the bins out when the rats ran over her feet so she now asks her husband to do the chore.

She added: "Some of them are large and others are tiny, they're having infants on a regular basis. You can’t sit out since you are scared. It’s completely terrifying.

"I can’t leave my window open in case they come into my house. I like to sleep with the window open but can’t. It’s like living in hell."

Ms Smith believed the rodents could also be coming from the close by River Clyde and has urged the council to behave to stop the issue getting worse.

But she claimed the bin males are "refusing to empty the bins", branding it a "joke".

She added: "We were told the bins are going around the front and they are going to put poison everywhere but that didn’t happen.

"They are getting the grass cutters to take the bins to the entrance for the bin males to empty after which they are going to take them again.

"I feel let down and disappointed, we were told they were going to get all this sorted. It might cost a bit of money but we pay our council tax and are entitled to a bit back from them."