Bid to boost bats' hunting ground

The Greater Horseshoe bat has been in decline in the past century

Shrubs and brambles at a farm near Bath are being cleared to provide a better habitat for rare bats roosting in the Combe Down mines.

Opening up the grassland at Clearbrook Farm in Midford will help moths, maybugs and dung beetles - favourite foods of horseshoe bats - to thrive.

The voluntary work is part of the Batscapes Project, which aims to halt the decline of the species.

Project Officer Dan Merrett said the area was a prime site for bats.

"Our plan is to restore the balance so there are smaller patches of scrub for the bats to fly around amongst the insect-rich grassland so creating an improved hunting habitat," he said.

The three-year project is led by Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Nature and other agencies.