LOCALS in a Dublin housing estate say their streets have been taken over by huge rats for almost a month.

On Monday residents at Kilcronan Court estate, near Clondalkin succeeded in killing one of the monster rodents with an axe, and displayed photos of it on social media to highlight the problem.

Neighbour Marianne Maughan said she had seen a rat the "size of a Chihuahua dog" in the estate.

Cooperative Housing Ireland have sent in a pest company, who are now busy at work trying to root out the infestation, which has seen up to 60 rats gathering.

It follows warnings about rat infestation in east Cork, where an elderly man was hospitalised after being bitten by a rat while sitting on a toilet.