The animals' natural habitat was destroyed by the Dudley Earthquake a year ago and has since been too unsafe for the animals to sleep in.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council is creating a new hibernaculum or bat cave at an undisclosed location in the area.

They are using a former mining site to create the new home for the displaced bats.

The quake, which hit on 23 September 2002, was registered at 5.0 on the Richter scale by the British Geological Survey.

Secret location

Anna Gorski, Wildspace Officer for the council, said it was important to keep the location secret to give the nocturnal animals an opportunity to settle into their new home but people would still be able to spot bat species on a series of "bat walks" being arranged in the area.

She said: "There's a lot for people to learn about bats.

"There are 6 different species of bat in the Black Country.

"They're nocturnal and can mostly be found close to water, where they feed on insects."

The bat rambles will set off just before dusk with walkers armed with electronic detectors to seek out the bats.

Ms Gorski said: "The equipment we use picks up these signals and allows us to detect the bats, which of course are difficult for us to see in the dark."

Declining bat numbers have made it necessary to legally protect all UK bats and their roosts, whether they are in residence or not.

This protection also makes it an offence to block their entrance and exit holes without seeking advice.