Red squirrels make comeback after years of persecution by greys

A pioneering project to protect its last strongholds and halt the seemingly unstoppable spread of the rival grey squirrel has had surprisingly quick results.

In three areas in Northumberland, greys have been cleared, and in one of those spots reds have returned and even started breeding.

The success has also led to the sound of birdsong returning because, while grey squirrels eat young birds, reds do not.

Organisers of the scheme hope the success could be repeated countrywide, although they insist they do not want to eradicate the grey squirrel.

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The project, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, works by laying down traps to catch squirrels.

Any greys caught are killed humanely while reds are re-released.

Mike Bell, co-ordinator of the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership, said: 'This isn't about eradicating the grey squirrel. It's about having an area of the UK where there are red squirrels left.'

He said the project had shown greys were more prevalent than previously thought. His colleague Paul Parker said:

'People think grey squirrels are nice little cuddly things. They're not. They are no good whatsoever. If we don't get rid of them now, we'll have greys right across the country.'

Reds are believed to have come to Britain from mainland Europe by the end of the last Ice Age.

Over the last century they have declined to the point where they are extinct in much of southern England, Northern Ireland and Wales and are an endangered species.

The main cause has been the arrival of the grey squirrel from America. The first pair were released in Henbury Park, Cheshire, in 1876.

More were released until the 1930s when it became illegal to introduce any into the wild.

Currently there are only an estimated 120,000 red squirrels in Britain but around three million greys, which dominate most of England and Wales.

The greys are a problem because they are better than the reds at finding food and shelter and spread the squirrel-pox virus which they are immune to, but which kills the reds.

They are also a pest for gardeners because they steal bulbs. The Northumberland scheme began late last year and will last two years, though organisers hope it will be extended.

They want to get rid of all greys between the rivers Tyne and Tweed.

So far red squirrels have returned and bred in Vindolanda, a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall. Fifty greys were removed in Stockfield, leading to a rise in bird numbers, while in Heddon 43 greys were snared.

The project was started by Lord Redesdale, the LibDem agriculture spokesman in the Lords. He said: 'If we had left it another five or ten years there wouldn't be a red squirrel left in Northumberland.'