Litter louts are being targeted in a campaign to halt the soaring rat population.

Braintree District Council has teamed up with environmental charity ENCAMS to issue a stark warning to fast food consumers to clean up their act.

They are being blamed for helping to increase rat numbers by not binning their fast food leftovers.

Now an advertising campaign is designed to scare them into changing their ways.

Cinemas are showing a 30-second advertisement, which begins with the rodents scratching, scuffling and devouring the discarded remains of a meal and ends with a couple sleeping soundly in their bed, unaware that they are sharing their duvet with a group of rats.

On Wednesday the message will be further highlighted with a special roadshow in George Yard shopping centre in Braintree between 10am and 3pm.

Leaflets will be handed out and a dance group will give displays throughout the day.

The number of rats in Britain has gone up by almost a quarter in the last two years and with 60 million of them now living in the UK there are more rats than people.

Every bit of food on the ground is a potential next meal for a rat.  How close do you want them to be before you use a bin and do your bit to halt this rising population of rats?

Pictured below are Braintree District Council Promotions Team whilst out and about on the 'We're getting closer' - Rat Campaign.  The Campaign focused on the amount of Fast Food litter being dropped on the streets and thus increasing the rat population.  The campaign focused on the three main towns and dance group was hired to communicate the message.