Thousands of Parisians have signed a petition denouncing efforts to control a rat infestation as a rodent “genocide.”

The French capital is facing its worst rat crisis in decades, and rapid proliferation of the animals has forced several parks to close temporarily amid fears that children could be bitten or infected by disease.

Paris authorities are spending £14 million this year on “deratisation”.

But some residents have spoken out in defence of the creatures.

Influenced perhaps by the loveable rat Remy in Disney’s acclaimed 2007 film Ratatouille, 25,000 people have signed a petition to stop the “genocide” of the rodents.

Josette Benchetrit, a clinical psychologist who launched the petition at the end of last year, said: “Rat phobia is an unwarranted social phobia, like spider phobia. Give a rat a beautiful bushy tail and you’ve got a squirrel — an animal we love. These poor unfortunates are being mercilessly killed because they’ve been designated by society as scapegoats to be eradicated.”