PEST control teams have been called to a Greenock pub after a RAT was discovered crawling about inside.

The rodent was filmed by a customer in The James Watt on Tuesday night in a public seating area.

Staff at the JD Wetherspoon bar on Cathcart Street were forced to close two hours early to investigate the problem and carry out a ‘deep clean’.

The company brought in a private pest control team to sweep the pub and staff from Inverclyde Council’s environmental health department have also carried out checks.

But Wetherspoon bosses have played down the appearance of vermin on the premises.

Company spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “There has been some demolition work taking place in the area and, as a result, rats are a common problem on the high street at the moment.

“A single rat literally walked in the open front door of the pub.

“The pub closed early at 10pm and the area was cleaned.

“Our pest control team were working in the pub yesterday morning and confirm that there are no issues.

“They will return to check the situation again next week.

“The pub is open and trading as usual.

“We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.

”The appearance of the rat in the pub — one of the busiest in Inverclyde — sparked a huge reaction on social media.

But local authority pest control experts believe it was a one-off after carrying out a thorough examination of the premises.

The doors of the pub were open as the temperature hit 25C following warm and sunny weather on Tuesday.

A council spokesman said: “It would appear a single rat got into the pub through the main doors that had been left open because of the heat.

“Management voluntarily called in a private pest control specialist and closed the bar.

“There is nothing to suggest there is an ongoing environmental health issue at The James Watt.

“Unfortunately rats are a common urban problem and we regularly bait areas where they have been spotted.

“We would urge people to make sure their rubbish and refuse is correctly disposed of and to let us know if and when vermin are causing a problem and we will deal with it.”