RED squirrels could disappear from the Lake District landscape within 20 years unless immediate conservation work takes place.

To help preserve the well-loved native species, the NPI Red Alert North West has launched a major fund-raising campaign to finance its work in ensuring the long-term survival of the remaining red squirrel populations in the region.

The North West is one of the last areas in England where red squirrels can still be seen living in the wild, but the species survival in the area is being put at serious risk by the spread of the North American grey squirrel, which out-compete their smaller red cousins for food Sarah Wallbank, project officer for NPI Red Alert, warned: "Unless immediate conservation action is taken now, red squirrels will rapidly become a thing of the past."

David Hill, chairman of NPI's fund-raising group, added: "The natural beauty and biodiversity of the North West is the main draw for tourism, so conserving our natural heritage is vital to the recovery of the local economy.

To lose our native red squirrel - Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin - from our woodlands and gardens would be a tragedy and we must not let this happen."

The charity needs to raise £100,000 a year to fund its red squirrel conservation programme which includes short-term measures such as controlling the numbers of greys, supplementary feeding of red squirrels and establishing red squirrel refuge sites.

"We need to employ a project officer; we need to carry out surveys and undertake scientific research; we need to keep the public informed.

All this costs money and that is why we are launching this major fund-raising appeal," explained appeal patron Hal Bagot.