Rat poison and traps have been flying off the shelves of a village DIY store.

The brisk trade follows reports of infestation in a group of homes in Eynsham.

But shopkeeper Robin Saunders says word has got round, and householders are rushing to stock up.

Mr Saunders has been running Evenlode DIY, in High Street, for the past 32 years and is in no doubt that rats are on the increase.

He said: "The July flooding probably had something to do with it, flushing them out of the drains and sewers up above ground and into people's homes.

"But there's a greater problem with rats than there was five or 10 years ago. The population is on the increase not just here, but elsewhere. Winters are not so hard these days and the rats just breed and multiply."

Mr Saunders has had to use the shop's baits and traps to protect his own property. He added: "You really want to stop them getting in your house because then it's a messy business. Once they've been killed, they leave a nasty decaying smell."

Complaints of a rat plague forced a preliminary investigation on Tuesday by officers from Thames Water and West Oxfordshire District council's pest control and environmental health department.

The focus of concern is in Newland Close, where some residents have paid for private firms to eradicate the rats, which have infested the attics of their homes.

They are investigating possible breaches in the sewage system, which would allow rodents to crawl into houses.

One resident says the problem has been increasing over the last few months.

Ian Miller said: "Rats have now infiltrated the lofts of all but two houses in our street. Other areas of the village are affected in a similar way. They are obviously now nesting indoors. I have seen droppings, urine stains and the smell of them in the last three months.

"Others have heard scratching and gnawing noises in their attics. The guys along the road from me have caught them in a trap."

Mr Miller also believes the July floods account for the recent infestations.

He added, however: "From what people tell me this has been an ongoing problem for a number of years."