Have the rats in your town become too powerful for poison?

Rats across large swathes of Britain have evolved to withstand poison. Credit: Peter Jordan/PA

A new body of evidence uncovered by the University of Huddersfield has proven that rats across large swathes of Britain have now become genetically evolved to withstand common household poison.

The findings will be shown on the Tonight programme on ITV at 7:30pm this evening, and later on the ITV Player

Random tests found that rats in some towns were 100% resistant to over-the-counter poisons.

The university spent seven years collating the information, using rats tails gathered by pest controllers.

The towns in the study were selected randomly to build up a picture across England, Wales and Scotland.

Here is a list of UK towns where rats are most resistant to poisons:

  • Reading, Berkshire - 100%

  • Kelton, Dumfries and Galloway - 100%

  • Glencaple, Dumfries and Galloway - 100%

  • Sanquhar, Dumfries and Galloway - 100%

  • Hastings, East Sussex - 100%

  • Ninfield, East Sussex - 100%

  • Selmeston, East Sussex - 100%

  • Tewkesbury, Gloucester - 100%

  • Gloucester, Gloucestershire - 100%

  • Bramshaw, Hampshire - 100%

  • Winchester, Hampshire - 100%

  • Tadley, Hampshire - 100%

  • Eastleigh, Hampshire - 100%

  • Colden Common, Hampshire - 100%

  • Northington, Hampshire - 100%

  • Micheldever, Hampshire - 100%

  • Stanmore, Hampshire - 100%

  • Twyford, Hampshire - 100%

  • Broadstairs, Kent - 100%

  • Cranbrook, Kent - 100%

  • Boston, Lincolnshire - 100%

  • Abingdon, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Faringdon, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Oxford, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Didcot, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Wantage, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Uffington, Oxfordshire - 100%

  • Castle Acre, Norfolk - 100%

  • Fakenham, Norfolk - 100%

  • Shipdham, Norfolk - 100%

Rats across large swathes of Britain have evolved to withstand poison. Credit: Peter Jordan/PA

  • Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire - 100%

  • South Gloucestershire 100%

  • South Shropshire - 100%

  • Doncaster, South Yorkshire - 100%

  • Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk - 100%

  • Woking, Surrey - 100%

  • Newbury, West Berkshire - 100%

  • Chieveley , West Berkshire - 100%

  • Chippenham, Wiltshire - 100%

  • Melksham, Wiltshire 100%

  • Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 100%

Super rats got their name from being susceptible to over-the-counter poisons. Credit: Jeff Moore/PA

  • Salisbury, Wiltshire - 100

  • Swindon, Wiltshire - 100%

  • Windsor, Windsor - 100%

  • Winnerish, Wokingham - 100%

  • Trowbridge, Wiltshire - 80%

  • Ashdown Forest, East Sussex 75%

  • Southampton, Hampshire - 75%

  • King’s Lynn, Norfolk - 75%

  • Oswestry, Shropshire - 75%

  • North Wiltshire - 66%

  • Gwynedd, Gwynedd - 50%

  • Bristol, South Gloucestershire - 50%

  • Sheffield, South Yorkshire - 40%

  • Hull, Kingston upon Hull - 33%

  • Bridgenorth, Shropshire - 33%

The findings will be shown on the Tonight programme on ITV at 7:30pm this evening, and later on the ITV Player

More: Invincible super rats sweeping across the UK