Denver park where homeless camp closed because of rats

DENVER (AP) - A park across from Colorado's state Capitol where homeless people have been camping has been shut down because officials say it's become infested with rats.

The residents of the over 30 tents that lined the edge of the park were asked to leave Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment told The Denver Post there's hundreds of rats there than can spread diseases through their feces and human contact.

The encampment grew after the city stop enforcing its camping ban but it plans to resume enforcement. The closure is expected to last weeks.

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