HE WAS public enemy number one after feeding thousands of birds and vermin in Southampton, fuelling one of the worst rat epidemics in the area’s recent history.

But now, the man dubbed ‘Rat Man’ has been acquitted by a jury of grievous bodily harm on a doctor who opposed his actions.

Christopher Morgan, 72, enraged residents in Highfield by giving the animals meat and bird seed over the last eight years.

His actions contributed to the worst rat epidemic seen in the area for 20 years, forcing the city council to embark on a mass two-month culling exercise to exterminate the vermin.

It was even reported that staff at St Denys Surgery, in Portswood Road, were forced to install CCTV on their premises after piles of bread were repeatedly found dumped over the fence.

For the last three years, the Highfield Residents’ Association attempted to track down ‘Rat Man’.

The organisation even considered hiring a private investigator to find him.

Steven Johnstone, a researcher at the University of Southampton, began his own documenting of Mr Morgan – taking photographs of him feeding the animals and helping put posters up across Southampton Common to urge people to report him.

And one day in July 2016, Dr Johnstone accused Mr Morgan of fracturing his arm in an “intimidating” attack.

Dr Johnstone told the trial at Southampton Crown Court this week: “I saw someone in the bushes about 10 or 15 metres away so I got out my phone and started recording him.

“When someone came out of the bushes it became obvious who it was – Christopher Morgan.”

He said Mr Morgan then “approached him very quickly” in an “intimidating manner” before attacking him.

Mr Morgan vehemently denied the accusation and was cleared by jurors.

Over three years Mr Morgan and Dr Johnstone, a committee member of the Highfield Residents’ Association, had several run-ins.

Mr Morgan admitted the council had contacted him on a number occasions and that he ignored the letters.

He said: “They said they were going to kill the animals and that is wrong.”

Mr Morgan added: “I feed the birds because the population of birds in the UK has decreased by 50 per cent in the last half century and I think it’s an atrocity.

“Yes the rats eat them, but everybody gets hungry.

“I don’t dislike rats. Feeding them needs to be done because animals need help getting food.”

Dr Johnstone had said he felt threatened by Mr Morgan and recorded him cycling through the Common.

In most of the videos captured, Mr Morgan blew kisses at the doctor.

“He needs some softening up, I was being affectionate to him,” Mr Morgan said.

“I wasn’t provoking him.”

Mr Morgan declined to comment further after the case.