Rats infest Royal Avenue Gardens just inches away from where the public sit and their droppings surround a forgotten memorial plaque to the parents of a loving daughter.

On Tuesday morning, over a period of less than 45 minutes, more than a dozen rats were seen.

The rats live in the bank between the parking machines in Mayor’s Avenue car park and the fish pond in Royal Avenue Gardens.

Almost hidden under a hedge, a memorial plaque languishes amongst rat droppings: “In Loving memory of my parents: H&H Hitchcock who lived happily in Dartmouth from 1936 to 1968 from Daughter Patricia.”

The bank itself has a number of rat holes visible. It contains a housing for the pump for the pond. The stones used on the surround of pond and in the support of the bank itself, provide holes and gaps that appear a perfect home for the rats.

Rats could be seen climbing the bamboo plants on the bank and were quite at home on the lilies and ferns in the pond itself. The pond is suffering. It is overgrown and dirty and the few remaining fish, appear to be suffering from depleted oxygen in the water. It cannot be long before they will be unable to survive. The rats however are clearly thriving.

If you sit on the bench next to the pond, your head or shoulders will not be a foot from active rats holes. If you are using the machine on the opposite side of the bank, you will be no more than a yard from the rats.

On Monday, an officer of South Hams District Council met Old Dartmothians at the rats nest. He took pictures of the rats and counted a similar number as was seen today. A workman who was clearing rubbish from the infested bank said: “If you’re looking for rats, you won’t see them with your dog around.”

The Old Dartmothians withdrew their offer to refurbish the pond and deal with the rats last week, confirming their withdrawal at the full Dartmouth Town Council meeting on Monday, October 2.

Dartmouth’s three district councillors, Jonathan Hawkins, Rosemary Rowe and Hilary Bastone, were all in favour of Old Dartmothians being given the go-ahead by the gardens owners, South Hams.

The Old Dartmothians have said that they can see little point in starting any work even if they were given permission by South Hams District Council. If Dartmouth council become the new owners, their work is not wanted unless it fits in with a new supervisor and other voluntary groups.

The mayor of Dartmouth confirmed this in his letter to the secretary of the Old Dartmothians, acknowledging the withdraw offer.

He wrote:“Thank-you for your statement at Full Council last Monday night on the position of the Old Dartmothians with regard to the voluntary work in the Avenue Gardens.

“Of course the town appreciates the work done by your members over the years and we hope that when the future ownership of the gardens is settled, that they can work with the new supervisor and other voluntary groups to restore the green spaces to their former state.”

In common with the first letter to the Old Dartmothians, this latest letter, on Dartmouth Town Council letterhead is not supported by a formal proposal, seconded and voted upon at a full council meeting. However, it is written on council letterhead and signed by Councillor Richard Cooke, The Mayor to Dartmouth Town Town Council.

Cllr Cooke was asked by Councillor Iris Pritchard, why the first letter of help from the Old Dartmothians, was discussed with ‘people outside of the council’ and not with the council itself. This “point of order” was not answered by Cllr Cooke at that meeting nor in the October meeting of the full council.

Cllr Iris Pritchard confirmed before the October full council meeting, that her point of order had remained unanswered and the October meeting did not address it.

She has raised this point of principle in other council meetings: that individual councillors have no authority, including the mayor, have no authority to make decisions without reference to the full council. The council must discuss and determine any response that is made to such offers as that made by the Old Dartmothians.

Mayor Cllr Richard Cooke, signing himself off as The Pied Piper of Hamelin, said in an email to the Chronicle: “Well this one has ‘Trickie Dickie’s Fingerprints all over it! Rats are part of nature and have been seen for years in the Avenue Gardens.

“No one is ever more than a few yards from a rat, town or country.

“You may ask South Hams District Council to try and kill them, but they will come back. They reproduce two to three times a year. Hey eat the bits of food left by picnickers, like gulls.

“Perhaps the dog lovers of Dartmouth could bring their Jack Russells and other terriers down to the park. I am sure they could sort the rats out in no time. The reason that the council did not discuss the Old Darts idea about re-building the fishpond is that no letter was received from them about the project. My letter (and despite protests, I am allowed to write letters in my own name) simply reflected the concerns of a few Dartmouth residents. It was supported by the staff at South Hams, but unlike our district councillors, they are not elected!

The district council had been asked for comment but none was received by the time of publication.