CARDIFF City stadium have hit back after a RAT halted play during the second half of Wales’ World Cup qualifier against Belgium.Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made an unsuccessful attempt to catch the rodent during Belgium‘s 4-2 win before Wales substitute Brennan Johnson ushered the rat off the pitchGettyA rat halted play during Wales vs Belgium[/caption]ReutersThibaut Courtois tried to catch the rodent[/caption]AlamyBrennan Johnson ushered it off the pitch[/caption]The rat then slipped past a ball boy and disappeared behind the VAR monitor and was not seen again.Cardiff City head of operations, Wayne Nash, who is also the security manager for the Football Association of Wales and Uefa, defended the club’s pest control policy.He said: “It’s something I’ve not seen in my 36 years at Cardiff City.“We’ve had a stray dog on the pitch but this was something new, a freak of nature.“The stadium is close to allotments and railway sidings and we know rats can be problematic. The railway bankings can be infested with rats.“We know they are in the area and we do have the odd sighting of them.“But we work closely with our pest control partners and do everything we can to keep them away.”Rat bait stations are in operation at the stadium and the club say stringent cleaning policies are followed.Nash continued: “We pick up litter and food like half-eaten burgers straight after games. Everything is put away.BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS“They say you are never too far from a rat, especially in cities, and this one managed to get in.“People have seen a rat on the pitch as quite funny, but it does have serious undertones. “If I was the ball boy or Brennan Johnson I would have run a mile.”