River ready for water vole return

Numbers of water voles have dwindled by 95% over the past century

Water voles could return to a south London river where they once flourished after volunteers cleaned it up.

The River Wandle was abundant with water voles until it was officially declared a sewer in the 1960s.

The London Wildlife Trust cleaned the river after a study found it could once again be made habitable for the voles, whose numbers have dwindled.

The trust's Emily Brennan said water voles could return to the "thriving" river by 2012.

'Catastrophic' decline

The water vole is Britain's fastest declining mammal, whose numbers have fallen by 95% over the past century, Miss Brennan said.

Their "catastrophic" decline was due to their loss of habitat and attacks by American mink, she said.

The trust aims to save the voles by creating and enhancing habitat for them to move into.

Last month it was given £58,000 by conservation group Natural England to assess whether water voles could be reintroduced to the Wandle.

Volunteers subsequently cleared rubbish and invasive plant species from the 14km (8.7 mile) river, which starts at Croydon and joins the River Thames at Wandsworth.

"The River Wandle is one of London's most valuable green spaces for people and wildlife," she said.

"It's quite a thriving river now, it's quite clean, there's lots of fish, invertebrates and other native wildlife here now."