Strange objects are floating in Poole Park lake in a bid to rid the water of the scourge of rancid weed.

The barley rafts, kept afloat by a three-inch mat of recycled Nike trainers, are the latest high tech method of fighting back against the smelly weed that contaminated the lake last summer.

Unsightly and smelly tassel weed and decomposing blanket weed covered most of the 40-acre salt-water lake and now a three-pronged attack is underway.

The £45,000 package of work includes upgrades to the sluice gates which drain the lake and refill it from the harbour, the barley bales and adding blue dye to the water, which reduces sunlight and checks the weeds growth.

Barley straw bales, transported from the Isle of Wight, create a reaction between the water and air that releases a natural chemical that can kill the blanket weed algae.

Twenty-four bales, four metres by two metres, have been rolled into the lake and towed to positions where they will float, partly submerged, protected by blue covers.

This treatment will be needed for a number of years and reducing the salinity of the lake will also help tackle the tassel weed problem. This string-like weed grows from the lake bed and last year 12 tonnes of it was removed from the model boat compound.

“The installation of the barley straw bales form just one part of the council’s plan to tackle the weeds over the next 12 months,” said Simon Legg, Borough of Poole’s greenspace maintenance team leader. “It is not something that has been tried in Poole Park lake before.

“However, we are hopeful that this combined with other measures such as the blue dye and prolonged drain down after Christmas will help to prevent the weeds returning with the warmer weather.”

He added: “The work has been carefully planned based on advice and information provided by various experts and conservation groups and its progress will be closely monitored over the coming months.”