HOMEOWNERS in Glasgow are being urged to be on their guard as cold weather threatens to spark a plague of rats over Christmas.

Weather forecasters expect a polar vortex from the Arctic to send temperatures plummeting in the next few weeks.

And pest experts fear a combination of icy conditions and over-flowing dustbins could lead to a huge spike.

Dee Ward-Thompson, technical manager of the British Pest Control Association, believes the double attraction of food and warmth has the potential to lead to big problems.

She said: “We have had abnormally mild conditions throughout the UK this year and that is likely to have led to an increase in the number of rats.

“Any cold snaps on the way will drive them into buildings in search of shelter and they’ll also go scrounging for food.”