Town councillors have backed a project to stop the rat population getting out of control at the Basins in Wellington.
But they played down suggestions that the nature reserve was being overrun by rats while accepting a problem exists in the area.
Councillors supported the Wellington Basins Volunteer Group when it asked the council for grant help at the council’s latest monthly meeting.
The group applied to the finance committee for a grant of £1,808.40 to help cover the costs of a project, carried out by specialists, to monitor and control the rats.
Jenny Vickery, of the Basins group, said: “Previous rodent control checks had been carried out by the old Taunton Deane Borough Council, but none since that council went.
“It’s important to raise public awareness and to ask people to take litter home with them and not to leave bread after feeding the ducks.
“Where there is food, there will be rats. More and more people visited The Basins during the Covid-19 lockdowns and it meant that bins were overflowing with rubbish and lots of food was being left on the banks.”
Cllr Andrew Govier said he would like to thank all the volunteers for their efforts in keeping The Basins looking so good.
“It’s a lovely place and the efforts of the volunteers have made it even better,” he said. “I am very happy to support this grant application and I am sure there is a growing problem.
“But I walk through The Basins on a daily basis and I don’t think there is a plague of rats as reported last week in the local press. I don’t think there are gangs of rats ganging up on the swans, but they are having an adverse affect on the bird population down there.”
Cllr John Thorne said: “I have seen rats down there, but not in huge numbers. The volunteers do a great job down there and I think we should support them.”
He added that the council should look at working closer with the volunteer group as the council was keen on taking on ownership of the Basins.
The grant application was later verified by the full meeting of the town council.