[bagpuss]

Thanks for all the replies and advice guys - I haven't actually been on this forum for ages! Anyhoo, we have recently cut down some conifer trees which were getting overgrown and very near to our house and ever since then we haven't heard any noises at all. I think perhaps whatever was getting in the loft was possibly using the conifers as a sort of "bridge" and way of getting onto the roof.

We did see a small rat on our nut feeder a few weeks ago but we have moved that to another position so it's virtually impossible for him to get to, and fingers crossed, we haven't seen him since. I am pretty convinced now though that it was a wood mouse in the loft.

We did also last year buy a rat zapper which you put food into and when the rat enters it gets an electric shock. I know it's not nice to think of killing them but at least it's quick. We did catch a couple in it last year but so far we haven't really had the need to use it this year as the only one we've seen was the one we saw on the nuts a few weeks ago. Also as we're having our garden cleared a bit, there's less places for them to hide I suppose.

Tina