First of all, that's the Daily Mail.. so 'nuff said. But...
I missed the program, I would of watched it had I got home in time and known about it earlier. We do have a few corkers around here now and again. Being on the edge of the town next to a farm it's quite normal. I have not seen any that looked like those though, fat and all shaggy looking, and have not seen one 2' long either. Can confirm that standard poisons do nothing though.
Don't expand the thumbnail below if a dead rat will upset you. It is not something I like to do, but occasionally necessary. So you get an idea of size, it is about 18" from the shed latch up to the horizontal row of little studs in the wood around the rat's head.
Not quite 2' yet, let's hope never around here
(edit: See TJ posted whilst I was writing with my same thoughts on the daily Mail)