A Llandrindod Wells main street is to be monitored after several sightings of rats were reported to the county’s environmental health department.
A town councillor and former Mayor and several shop workers spotted rats in Middleton Street last week.
Powys County Council said they have investigated the problem and there does not appear to be a single cause, but they will continue to monitor the area.
Councillor Keith Tampin said he saw one run across the road in front of him as he walked down the street.
“I trapped it in a doorway and I was going to take a swing at it but I missed and it ran over my shoe.”
He said he had spoken to the manager of the Red Cross shop and she had seen a rat running down the street early in the morning and another person had also spotted one.
Ann Griffiths, the manager of the Red Cross shop, said: “I came into work at about 8am and a young lad said ‘have you seen all the rats?’ I did not take any notice really.
“Then one of the quilting group came in to take a photograph and we looked up and there was a rat running across the pavement and under a vehicle!
“It ran up the street and tried to get into one property. I telephoned environmental health and they said they would pass the message on.”
A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “The council has received several reports of rat sightings in Middleton Street, Llandrindod Wells, and has investigated the problem.
“There does not appear to be a single cause such as inappropriate stored rubbish and the cause may be high drain water levels forcing out populations.
“We will continue to monitor the area. Although there are regular reports of rats across the area there is no evidence of the problem increasing. Figures for the first ten months show a decrease on last year. “
The Mayor of Llandrindod Wells, Councillor Tony Phillips told members of the town council on Tuesday that he had spoken to the Environmental Health Department about it and they had said they were aware of the issue.
Officers had said that the recent heavy rain may have caused the rats to come up through the drains and Powys County Council was also looking at other possible sources, including uncollected rubbish, he explained.
Councillor Tampin said that, as a popular tourist town, it was not good to have rats in the main shopping street, and Councillor Sheila Richards pointed out that they had appeared from the same area a few years ago.
Members agreed to write to the Environmental Health Department and ask what action is being taken and what action they intend to take.