A SURVEY is being undertaken to count Teesside's bat population, thanks to a grant.

Besides discovering how many of the flying mammals there are, members of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are to encourage residents to grow plants in their garden to attract moths and other flying insects which bats love to eat.

They are also to go into local schools to educate children about bats.

Jonathan Pounder, Tees corridor officer with the trust, said: "Historically, the mammal records in the Tees Valley have been quite poor, so the funding provided by npower will enable us to begin surveying the distribution of bats in the region, as well as encouraging residents in the area to get involved in protecting bats and encouraging these fantastic mammals to flourish in the area.''

Gary Doig, npower's community involvement executive for the North-East, said: "We're delighted to be supporting this project.

"I've learnt a great deal about bats through working with Jonathan and the team at the Wildlife Trust.

"They really are fascinating creatures that contribute a great deal to the well-being of the local environment.

"I hope people in the Tees Valley enjoy this project and are inspired to implement the initiatives they learn to help make the area a haven for wildlife."