Angry holidaymakers who say they saw rats at a Clacton holiday park queued outside it to tell managers of their disgust

More than 30 visitors to Highfield Holiday Park caused havoc yesterday when they formed a line outside the site's office to protest at the state of the park.

Asked about the claims, a spokeswoman said the rodents were hard to get rid of there because only poisons which will not harm children can be used, adding that rats were a national problem.

Doris Law, her daughter Teresa McMeekin, and grandchildren, Tracy and Hayley, claimed they had seen one large rat in their chalet's bedroom.

Mrs McMeekin said: "There is a gap down the whole side of our chalet and you can hear them trying to get in."

But Caroline Searle, press officer for Highfield-owners Great British Holiday Parks, said: "We have no reports of any rats in the living quarters. People need to report these things, as we need to be aware before we can do anything."

Ms Searle said she believed the hole in the chalet had been fixed.

She added that the park is "between a rock and a hard place" because only rat poison that will not harm children can be used and that is less effective.

Published Friday August 9, 2002

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