MPs outraged after hundreds of mice spotted in House of Commons despite spending £132,000 on pest control

Parliament spent a record £132,000 on pest control last year – because health and safety prevents cats being deployed on the estate.

MPs hit out last night saying it was ridiculous Downing Street and the Treasury is allowed mousers like Larry but the Commons isn’t.

Larry the Downing Street cat is used to catch pests at the Prime Minster’s abode

The most recent bill for tackling the nuisance pests has rocketed by almost a third with MPs and Parliament staff claiming the problem is out of control.

Authorities in the Palace of Westminster blame constant building work for disturbing plagues of moths and nests of mice.

But strict rules forbid animals except guide dogs and police dogs on the parliamentary estate.

Bosses were forced to hire a pest control worker and lay out more than 1,700 traps.

Mouse sightings have soared over the last year with 411 in the year to June compared to 313 in the previous year.

Tory MP Pauline Latham said the mice problem was “rife” and they could be seen in tea rooms.

Pauline Latham said the House of Commons was ‘rife’ with mice

She said: “There are even mice in the cafeteria in Portcullis House which is a relatively new building.

“We see them everywhere, all the time. There’s hardly a health and safety argument

“It is absolutely disgusting. I have had mice on my computer. I have had them eating things in the office.

I had biscuits in a plastic tub and they chewed through that. It is absolutely revolting.”

MPs are furious that Downing Street and Foreign Office gets cats – but they don’t

She suggested cats could be borrowed from Battersea Cat’s Home to roam the Palace during recess.

She added: “They say we can’t have a cat because they would go on desks and be unhygienic. What do they think the mice do when we’re not there?”

“It is ridiculous. They are the best killers of mice, much better than traps or poison. They will do the job quickly and cleanly.”

The Treasury has its own cat called Gladstone, Palmerston is the Foreign Office moggy and Larry, the No10 cat.

Last year a minister was given a slap on the wrist after bringing in her own cat to her office to tackle a mouse infestation.

Penny Mordaunt posted photos of her Burmese pet on the hunt in parliament.

Minister of State for the Armed Forces got in trouble for bringing her own cat to deal with the mice

She wrote on Twitter: “A great believer in credible deterrence, I’m applying the principle to the lower ministerial corridor mouse problem.”

A House of Commons spokesman said: “The increase in pest control costs in 2016/17 is due to a higher number of maintenance projects across the estate which have disturbed pests and made them more visible, increasing the need for pest control, hawk flying and moth deterrents.

“Office renovations on the estate have also resulted in an increased requirement for pest control measures.”