GLASGOW has massive rat infestations throughout the city, an SNP councillor has admitted.

Elspeth Kerr made the comment as a West End landlord was criticised over late-night noise and vermin scampering around under the floorboards.

Colin McInnes was slammed for carrying out a visual check of his Lawrence Street flat without consulting pest controllers.

It came after downstairs neighbour Andy Saunders insisted he was being kept awake by loud phone calls, washing machine noise and the sound of rodents.

Read more: Rats taking over Glasgow as pest controllers can't keep up

Mr McInnes, representing family business Dalstep Ltd, appeared in front of licensing chiefs to explain the situation.

And he said: “We have seen no evidence of any vermin whatsoever.

“We checked around the flat to see if there were any apparent signs.”

When asked if he had called in specialists to check, Mr McInnes replied: “No.”

In response, Elspeth Kerr said: “There is a huge rat infestation across the city, so it might be worth looking into that.”

Read more: Rats taking over Glasgow as pest controllers can't keep up

Mr McInnes had been applying for a renewal of his houses in multiple occupation (HMO) permit.

The licensing committee heard how Mr Saunders had to deal with various noise related issues.

Objecting to the renewal, Mr Saunders said: “We have been able to hear rodents in the escapes in the flat above. We can hear them running across the ceiling.

“I can hear the boiler come on, I can hear the heating kicking in, I can hear the water running through the pipes and that wakes me up.

“Every two months I have to go up at 1am or 2am to make complaints.”

Mr Saunders also claimed that Mr McInnes’ tenants had been known to make phone calls into the early hours of the morning. He added that the washing machine had also been put on during “unsociable hours”.

Read more: Rats taking over Glasgow as pest controllers can't keep up

Licensing chiefs were told that council development and regeneration services officers had also inspected the property.

They were told that no signs of rats were reported but it was admitted that the visiting officer was not an expert in tracking vermin.

Licensing committee member Graham Campbell said: “I would be quite concerned hearing that there were rodents in the floorboards.”

Mr McInnes was granted a restricted 1-year HMO licence, despite applying for three years.

A spokesman for the council said: “The most effective way to stifle the rat population on a long-term basis is to cut off their sources of food.

“The current initiative to replace all of the city’s remaining 50,000 old-style steel bins will have a significant impact on the rat population.

“Steel bins are small and often in poor condition which can lead to the spread of litter and waste, which encourages vermin and creates health and safety issues.”

Last month a Glasgow City Council whistleblower revealed that stressed pest controllers are unable to deal with the city’s spiralling rat problem.

The source told of how relief staff, brought in to help tackle the problem, are being laid off as funding for them has run out.

Telling of concerns, the worker said: “The rat problem has been getting pretty bad in Glasgow for the last five years and it’s been getting progressively worse.

“They are breeding quicker than we can control them. It’s now breeding season, so this is only going to get worse.”

Read more: Rats taking over Glasgow as pest controllers can't keep up

In the last five years, Glasgow City Council has received 13,962 complaints about rat infestations.

Last year saw the highest number of rat reports, 4160, since 2008.

Residents also made 36,893 complaints in 2017 about the council’s cleansing service, with the majority relating to missed bin collections.