A 2-foot long rat has been captured by a pest control company at a house in Dublin.

The giant rodent was caught alive in the attic of a house in Kingswood near Tallaght.

The family heard loud scratching sounds coming from the ceiling and the discovery was made after a camera was put in the attic.

The huge rodent measuring 24-inches from nose to tail was trapped by pest control workers last week.

Workers had to to cut a hole in the ceiling to reach the rat - which has been compared in size to a domestic cat.

Marcus Giusti of Total Pest Control told Newstalk Lunchtime he is definitely one of the biggest rats he has ever seen.