A road behind a row of shops blighted by overflowing bins and fly-tipping has become "infested" with rats. 

Videos taken by a pest control service in North London showed rats peeking out of the bins in Harrow’s Parnell Way.

Other pictures showed dead rats next to the bins, while evidence of a broken drain cover suggested a potential access route for the animals. 

David Piggott, who runs BioNET Pest Control, said this represented a "high level of risk to public health" and urged Harrow Council to intervene.

He suggested the council put an "integrated pest management solution" in place as the area has become a problem spot for rubbish dumping. 

Commenting on local community group Fixit Harrow Network, Mark Brooker said the situation at the site has been an issue "for years". 

He said he has frequently reported the problem to the council and, on occasions, bags of rubbish have completely covered the path. 

Mr Brooker argued the situation is so bad that residents have nowhere to put their rubbish and are fearful of coming across rats if they get too close to the bins. 

He said there is little chance of things improving in its current state but suggested cameras and proper enforcement could help tackle the problem. 

Traders in the area have complained about fly-tipping in the past, to the point where they say it is harming their businesses. 

One man decided to hire a series of skips to clear the rubbish, but it has quickly returned to the state it was before. 

Harrow Council has been contacted for comment.