Nature features

In April 2007, wildlife enthusiasts were looking for a new sponsor to avoid a breeding disaster for toads which must cross a Nottinghamshire highway.

Hundreds of toads cross the road at Oxton to reach their spawning grounds.

For the past seven years residents have closed Beanford Lane for a month to stop the toads getting run over.

But then a sponsor pulled out and villagers needed to find £500 to pay a motoring organisation to supervise the road's closure.

Margaret Cooper, from the Oxton toad project, said the animals returned to their breeding grounds each year and often travelled up to a mile (1.6km) to get there. Margaret added:

"Unlike frogs, toads just waddle across the road and can't jump out of the way.

"We normally have the road closed in March but it's been very dry and cold. The toads want warm, wet weather before they mate.

"We really do need to close that road if we're going to protect the toads when they migrate to their spawning grounds."

In previous years Severn Trent underwrote the AA's charge for barricades and road closure signs.

But this year the water company decided it could not continue with its sponsorship.

From Russia with love

However, this story had a happy ending.

A Nottingham-born man Ian King who works in Russia, donated the £500 to enable the road to be closed and prevent hundreds of toads being run over.

"I was looking on the website and the news was pretty depressing. Then I saw the story about the toads," he said.

"People who are prepared to commit to that level of activity should be supported. It's a very worthy cause."

According to the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the plight of the Oxton toads and the success of the road closure, received media coverage all over the world.