THE Minister Of Agriculture, Mr RS Hudson and Lord Woolton, the Minister Of Food, declared war on rats.

Millions of the rodents were said to be losing the country an estimated £25,000,000 a year.

In the Lindsey division of Lincolnshire alone the rats were consuming more food than all the allotment holders in the country could grow.

With each pair of rats capable of producing 880 descendants in a year, the Ministry Of Agriculture was particularly anxious for a quick victory.

Meanwhile, Lord Derby made an appeal “to all of you who own binoculars.”

With manufacturers concentrating their efforts on the production of bomb and gun sights, binoculars for the fighting forces were in short supply and 125,000 pairs were needed.

Lord Derby asked sports enthusiasts to sell or donate their binoculars to the war effort.

“Put your binoculars now in the hands of the man who is waiting for them – you will never spot a better winner,” he urged.