Primary schools in Glasgow have been visited by exterminators and pest control experts almost 1,600 times over the past three years, new analysis shows.

Figures released by Glasgow City Council to the Scottish Conservatives show schools across the city are visited on average four times each year about vermin, bugs and other animals on the properties.

These latest figures reveal a problem across the city’s schools where rodents, vermin, birds and other animals have been identified, with over 600 pest control visits having to be made in the last school year alone.

Glasgow MSP Annie Wells has hit out over the problem, saying the issue needed to be tackled as a ‘matter of urgency’.

She added: “These latest figures highlight the truly shocking problem Glasgow’s schools are having in terms of pest control.

“Only last month did the First Minister assure me in relation to bedbugs in Govanhill that intensive work was going on.

“However, it is clear far more work needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency.

“Parents will be horrified at the fact that rodents, vermin and many other animals are being found in their child’s school.

“They should be sending them off in the morning knowing that they will be learning and playing in a safe and clean environment.

“Quite clearly that is not the case right now in far too many of our schools and I urge the council to outline immediately how this will be tackled.”

The latest figures come after it was revealed in June washing machines have been bought into a Govanhill school to boil wash children’s close.

St Bride’s primary has been in the midst of a bed bug problem for around four years, with sightings only stopping earlier this year.

A council spokeswoman said: “There’s almost 140 primary schools in Glasgow so the figures for the last three years equates to just under four visits per school per year.

“And sometimes this is multiple calls to pest control for the same sighting or to report pigeons in the playground and wasp nests in the summer.

“Hardly a shocking statistic and no more than average householders could experience.

“We will continue to work with our schools to support any concerns they may have regarding this topic.”