King’s College students hoping to hit the books at the university’s library in Borough have unusual study partners – as mice have been spotted running around the building.
Students have created an Instagram account, miceofkcl, to raise awareness of mouse sightings in the New Hunt’s House library on Newcomen Street.
Videos on the account show mice running care-free over computer keyboards at the study facility – and even inside the toastie machine at the library café.
“I’m not going near that toastie maker ever again”, said one student in response to a video which appears to show the vermin inside the machine which has been viewed over 2,000 times.
However, others responded that the video may be a hoax.
The ‘Mouse College London’ account states it is “creating awareness of the mouse epidemic in King’s College London. DM your mice sightings. Anonymity optional.”
Another video shot at the New Hunt’s House library café appears to show a mouse climbing up a bottle of vanilla syrup, used for making coffees.
Other mouse sightings on the account seem to show the creatures eating crumbs from the carpet of the university’s library in Waterloo.
The university has responded that continuous pest work will be increased at New Hunt’s House due to the new mice sightings, and that work at nearby London Bridge may be a factor.
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A spokesperson for the university said: “King’s takes every precaution to prevent pest problems.
“We have a specialist pest control company delivering a continuous programme of prevention and management throughout the year in all our buildings and have increased that work in New Hunt’s House following some recent reports from that building.
“Mice will sometimes enter buildings if they are disturbed by external building works outside of King’s and there is a significant amount of work currently underway in the surrounding London Bridge area.
“We would like to thank students who report issues to our help desk as it helps us manage potential issues at the earliest opportunity.”