You get all sorts of folks down the boozer, but one customer you don’t expect to be tucking into a meal at the table next to you is a giant rat.
That’s exactly what pubgoer Mark Baker says he saw on a recent trip to the Mill on the Exe in Exeter. He gathered footage appearing to show a big rodent repeatedly scampering from a planting box onto a table nearby to gather scraps from a discarded plate.
While this is of course not what you want to see down your local,Devon Livereports that businesses along the ancient city’s riverside are being plagued by rat infestations, and The Mill is one such institution that's suffering. Now, Exeter City Council's Environmental Health department is understood to be carrying out work to assess the situation with regular visits to the Bonhay Road boozer.
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The owner of the pub, St Austell Brewery, has said that businesses stretching from Millers Crossing Bridge all the way down to the Quay are struggling with rat problems. The brewery is also understood to have been visited by the Health Department on a number of occasions, with the council body reportedly satisfied with the efforts and measures being taken at the Mill.
Discussing his saga at having spotted the rat, Mark said: "I ate at the Mill on the Exe last week and there was a rat eating on the table next to mine. I contacted the St Austell office and felt the response was unacceptable. I have reported the issue to the Exeter City environmental health department and left feedback on Tripadvisor. They need to do something about this."
The Daily Star has contacted St Austell Brewery for further comment, with a spokesperson having already told Devon Live: "We can confirm that Environmental Health are aware of this matter and are carrying out regular visits to monitor and assist with the situation, which is impacting riverside properties from the Weir down to the Quay, including the Mill on the Exe.
"We are working closely with Environmental Health and continuing to act on all advice. Last week, during their most recent visit to the area, they confirmed they were happy with the extensive measures we have put in place to help manage the situation that is affecting our external areas.
"We have been in touch with the guest and apologised for the impact this incident had on his experience, outlining the action we have and are continuing to take with support from local authorities."
A spokesperson for Exeter City Council said: "All cases reported to the Environmental Health team are investigated as a matter of course, however we don’t comment on specific cases."
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