Pine martens helped to thrive at Northumberland's Wallington estate

An endangered mammal will be granted a safe haven in Northumberland.

Pine martens were once widespread in Britain but were almost extinct by the beginning of the 20th Century.

They have slowly been making a comeback and the Martens on the Move project will help improve its habitat on the Wallington estate.

Conservation charity the Vincent Wildlife Trust is overseeing the initiative through a £1.2m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It is hoped it will mean the "native and charismatic" mammal will thrive in Woodland across the 5,321-hectare National Trust Wallington site.

While populations are already recovering in some parts of Scotland, the new project will help pine martens spread further in key recovery areas including Northumberland, Cumbria and England's border with Wales.

The lottery grant will enable the project to improve habitats, recruit and train volunteers to monitor pine martens and provide opportunities for communities to find out more about the once prevalent creature.

Paul Hewitt, countryside manager at Wallington, said: "This critically-endangered animal has been lost from swathes of our countryside for so long.

"We're delighted that Wallington has been selected as the haven site for England.

"This work forms part of the Wilder Wallington project, which is helping nature recovery at a landscape scale."

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