Richard Hayes and local children with the new warning sign

Northumberland County Council joined forces with children to press for traffic warning signs about red squirrels on the roads in Longhorsley.

The region is one of the last in England where native red squirrels still have a stronghold in the wild.

The native red squirrel once had a population of five million, but this has now declined to around 150,000.

The decline followed the introduction of the American grey squirrel and scientists warn the red variety could be wiped out within a decade.

Last stronghold

Northumberland Council has been pressing the Department for Transport to allow it to erect squirrel signs since last June when former pupils at St Helen's School, and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, expressed concern at squirrels being killed on the C145 road.

Richard Hayes, the council's Northern Operations Manager, said: "It was quite upsetting for the children at the school, who told us they wanted action to warn drivers.

"The sign is now in place and hopefully drivers will pay attention - they are so rare these days that we need to do everything we can to help.

"We have to pay a special tribute to the children and to the local community who supported them for campaigning and being successful in getting action on an issue close to their hearts.''

Elisabeth Bainbridge, headteacher at Longhorsley St Helen's school, said: "We used this as an opportunity to learn more about squirrels and their habitat. It was very upsetting that they were being killed on the road.

"Northumberland is the last stronghold for the red squirrel and their preservation is crucial in this area.''