PENELOPE Jepson has been inundated with rats as her North Oxford home - thanks to her rodent-catching moggie Topaz.

The three-year-old tortoiseshell has killed six rats in the past 14 months and brought every one into Miss Jepson's house in Salisbury Crescent, Cutteslowe.

Until now, the 68-year-old, a former librarian at Imperial College, London, has not been worried about the regular rat appearances. But now she is concerned the increase in vermin is a result of the switch in 2006 to fortnightly waste collections.

She said: "I have had cats for the past 40 years but none of them have been as good as her at catching rats. She brings them all into the house.

"Topaz is obviously a superb ratter and I would advise any resident who has a problem with rats to get a cat.

"I was a war baby and survived a few bombing raids so I'm not worried by something like this."

Miss Jepson said she would prefer a return to weekly waste collection and added: "I really dislike the big wheelie bin - it's very tall and I find it hard to lift."

Jean Fooks, the city council's executive member for a cleaner city, said: "There have always been rats in North Oxford, like other parts of Oxford, but it is not one of the wards where we have had the most reports.

"There is nothing to suggest that the switch to fortnightly collection has led to an increase in rats.

"If Miss Jepson is concerned then she can contact our pest control department staff, who would be quite happy to help her.

"Flooding flushes rats out and we are encouraging Thames Water to do more to bait the sewers."