DORMICE will soon have their very own tiny railway crossing in a bid to save the endangered species from extinction.

The new ‘dormouse bridge’ will be the first of its kind when it is built next summer on the Furness line.

Wild hazel dormice have declined by 51 per cent since 2000 and the project aims to tackle that decline by establishing new dormouse populations in Lancashire- but the selected sites are currently separated by the rail route in Morecambe Bay.

The new mouse-sized climbing frame will connect populations, encouraging them to find food, look for a new mate or find better nesting sites in the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The £40,000 conservation project- by Network Rail and wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)-involves fitting a 12-metre long shielded tree-top structure to provide protection from predators on the side of an existing railway overbridge.

Network Rail teams are currently working with the ‘dormouse bridge’ manufacturer Animex on the best way to attach it.

The Westmorland Gazette: CROSSING: The bridge for dormice by Animex

Ecologists are also looking at how to improve the railway embankment to encourage dormice to use the new bridge to safely move from one side of the railway to the other.

Rory Kingdon, senior sponsor from Network Rail, said: "Network Rail is committed to improve biodiversity and protect habitats for the future. In fact, this work directly aligns to a major aim of the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow - to protect the natural environment and contribute to the conservation of nature.”

Ian White, dormouse and training officer at PTES, said: “This year dormice made a welcome return to Lancashire when we reintroduced 30 individuals to the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This new population has got off to an excellent start as we know at least twelve litters were born this year.

“We hope that this new bridge will enable two neighbouring populations to create a local metapopulation in the area, which will really to help bring this rare and beautiful species back from the brink.”