The amphibians will be on the move over the next three months during their breeding season.

About one third of the 500 toads which hop across Charlcombe Lane each year are killed by traffic.

To try to help more survive, Bath and North East Somerset Council will temporarily close part of the lane - the largest toad crossing area in the district.

Fewer and fewer toads survive each year to continue the breeding cycle Jane Briggs, Community Landscapes Project Officer

From Monday until Sunday April 20, almost 900 metres of the road will be closed to traffic from dusk to dawn. Diversion signs will be in operation.

Jane Briggs, Community Landscapes Project Officer at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: "Every year hundreds of toads make their way from the surrounding hills to the north of Bath to the lakes in the valley below where they breed.

"In the past many have been injured or killed en-route as they cross the road.

"This ultimately means that fewer and fewer toads survive each year to continue the breeding cycle."

The closure of the lane has been initiated by local residents and the Wildlife Trust.

Cllr Roger Symonds, Executive Member for Economic Development and Environment, said: "I'm sure people using Charlcombe Lane will understand the need to temporarily close a section for a few weeks."