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Inside Out conducted DNA analysis with the help of rat expert Professor Robert Smith from Huddersfield University after residents claimed rat numbers in Oxford had risen.

"It’s resistant to anti-coagulants and that’s the first time as far as I’m aware that it’s been shown in the City of Oxford," says Professor Smith.

Some locals believe the rodent population has increased following Oxford Council’s adoption of alternate weekly rubbish collections.

Oxford resident Annie Skinner claims there has been an increase in the amount of household rubbish being dumped on her street as a result, leading to rat problems in the neighbourhood:

"When you have fortnightly collections, the rubbish stays on the street for a week longer than before.

"I’ve spoken to one young woman and she said she hated coming home because she had to dodge the rats."

Fortnightly rubbish collections have most impact upon the 2,140 households in Oxford who do not have a wheelie bin, normally because they don’t have a front or back garden.

Residents living in first or second floor flats in the City are expected to keep their household waste and recycling boxes in their apartment between collections.

It's something not all locals are happy with.

Rubbish and rats

In some areas of Oxford this has led to illegal fly-tipping as people dump their rubbish bags rather than store them in their home.

But other residents blame the complexity of Oxford’s recycling and rubbish collections for the rubbish and litter on the streets.

Overflowing rubbish encourages rats.

They claim it leads to confusion and subsequent apathy, particularly amongst Oxford’s transient population.

"We always forget: we don’t really know what day it is, so we just leave it out," one student living in east Oxford admitted.

"It’ll normally fill up so we just hope for the best really. We’re not 100% sure if we can put glass and tins together or what..."

But Oxford Council says rubbish collections have no bearing on the rat population.

Councillor Jean Fooks claims recycling rates are up and the system works well:

"There are one or two people who are still not conforming, but it is they who are not conforming, not the council who is not doing the right thing."

Rodent control

But whatever the key factor behind Oxford’s rat population, it’s clear that the presence of super rats will make rodent numbers far more difficult to control.

In fact, ironically, trying to kill the rats with poison could make the problem worse, as Professor Smith explains:

Professor Smith - worrying report.

"Poison is really the last resort.

"And the more poison you use, the more the problem builds up because you’re selecting in favour of this resistant mutant."

"What we need is for people to manage their environment better.

"If you keep that food away from rats, then you won’t get as many rats - simple as that."