Red squirrels 'close to extinction' in England

England's red squirrels are close to extinction and the government needs to do more to protect them, an animal welfare group said.

A petition set up by Save Our Reds, has attracted more than 75,000 signatures, urging more action.

Founder of the campaign Marie Carter-Robb, said: "We have a series of urgent actions that need to be brought together into one joined-up national plan."

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said the government was protecting endangered red squirrels by tackling the threat of non-native grey squirrels.

Combining data from a number of wildlife organisations, the group said the endangered species, which "still clings on" across Cumbria, Northumberland and the North Pennines, could disappear within 25 years.

It also said only 120,000 to 160,000 remained, with as few as 15,000 in England.

According to Natural England causes for the decline include the introduction of grey squirrels from the USA and Canada from 1876 spreading the squirrelpox virus, which is fatal to the red squirrels only.

The group said habitat loss and weak enforcement of existing protections were adding to the problem.

Carter-Robb, said: "The map is shocking. It makes the reality impossible to ignore.

"This is not theoretical, without action we will lose our red squirrels."

She said the "urgent actions that need to be brought together" were "fragmented" and "we are simply managing decline".

The campaign called for a national plan to humanely manage grey squirrel populations and urgent investment in squirrelpox vaccine development.

It also wants support for fertility control research and deployment, and protection and enforcement of red squirrel habitat.

"We need government, conservation bodies, landowners, scientists and campaigners around the same table. The tools exist or are being developed.

"What is missing is coordination, funding and urgency," Carter-Robb added.

The organisation suggested that while it was illegal to kill red squirrels, their habitats were being destroyed.

A Defra spokesperson said: "Working alongside landowners and conservation partners, we are supporting promising research into fertility control so that we can manage grey squirrel populations and help our iconic red squirrels and native wildlife flourish.

"We support red squirrel populations in Cumbria and Northumberland by monitoring them and controlling the grey squirrel population.

"We also manage forest and woodland habitats to enable red squirrels to thrive.

"We work with and support partner organisations and volunteer red squirrel groups as part of our conservation activity."