Baby red squirrel orphan rescued from Ainsdale Nature Reserve

A tiny red squirrel is recovering with Wildlife Trust officers after it was found on the forest floor at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve in Merseysie by Natural England volunteers.

Rachel Miller from the trust said the four-week-old male was found "on the ground, with a bloody nose, freezing cold and covered in lice".

She said: "He will be with me for the next few weeks and, hopefully, we'll release him later in the spring."

Ten years ago, the red squirrel was a common sight in North-West woodlands, parks and gardens.

But in 2008, a squirrel pox outbreak wiped out 80% of the red squirrel population on the Sefton Coast.