Enhanced pest control measures are under way in High Wycombe after residents raised concerns about a long-running rat problem near their homes.
Buckinghamshire Council says action is being taken at All Saints Churchyard and Castle Street following complaints from people living nearby.
Mark Winn, the council's cabinet member for housing and regulatory services, said: "At All Saints Churchyard, enhanced pest control measures are ongoing, alongside ground repairs to fill rat burrows and the installation of wire mesh to help prevent rat access.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and carry out further work where needed."
The council said additional measures have also been introduced at nearby Castle Street, including replacing overgrown shrubs with wildflower meadow turf and installing new lidded litter bins to help reduce food sources for rodents.
Mr Winn added: "We understand residents' concerns about rat activity in this area and appreciate the impact it can have on people living nearby.
"That's why we've been taking action to tackle the problem, including increasing pest control measures on council-managed land and making improvements to the surrounding area to help reduce places where rats can live and feed."
The update comes after first-time buyer Paige Cole, 27, told the Free Press she and her partner, were shocked to discover a rat problem just days after moving to Castle Place from Greenwich in south-east London.
She said: "To turn up and there's just rats running around was a bit of a shock."
The couple recently purchased their first home in High Wycombe and had been looking forward to starting a new chapter after years of renting in the capital.
While she praised the town's transport links, historic character and community spirit, she said the number of rats she had seen near the communal bin area had left her disheartened.
"I'm not a squeamish person, but my partner saw me jump when one ran around the gate," she said.
"It's just a bit unpleasant and it makes you feel unclean."
Paige believes overflowing bins and poor waste disposal may be contributing to the issue and said she would like to see greater efforts to encourage responsible rubbish disposal.
The resident also claimed the problem is not a new one.
After speaking with neighbours, she said she was shown correspondence sent to the council several years ago raising similar concerns.
"A neighbour showed me a letter she'd written to the council about exactly the same issue," she said.
"It was from 2019. Seven years later we're talking about the same thing."
Paige described avoiding the communal bin store because of the rat activity, claiming she once had to wait for "about 20 rats" to move away before she could dispose of her rubbish.
The council is urging residents to dispose of waste responsibly and report fly-tipping through FixMyStreet as efforts to tackle the problem continue.
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