A rare beetle – believed to have one last remaining stronghold around York – has been discovered in Huntingdonshire.

The green tansy beetle has been found at Woodwalton Fen Nature Reserve – a site where the insect was thought to have been wiped out in 1973

But entomologist Dr Peter Kirbyhas found a small population of the beetles when carrying out ditch surveys for Natural England at Woodwalton.

Alan Bowley, senior reserve manager at Natural England added: “This is such an exciting find. Woodwalton Fen is an isolated fragment of a once much larger wetland and so rare animals are always at risk of extinction, but this demonstrates how important these sites are for providing a refuge for these species to survive against the odds.

“There is only one other site in Britain where this beautiful creature is found and we will be working hard to try to ensure that it can flourish here.”