Farmers turn to gorse for animal bedding after heatwave

Common land at Castleblythe in north Pembrokeshire has been the focal point of the project

Farmers in Pembrokeshire are being offered gorse and heather as a form of animal bedding after the price of straw soared following the heatwave.

It is being cut back in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to control the fire risk on heathland.

And it is now being made available to farmers who can collect it for free.

Reduced gorse on the heathland is also expected to improve biodiversity, according to the park's farm conservation officer, Geraint Jones.

It is the first time the national park has offered the material to local farmers, although similar schemes have been used on the Llyn Peninsula and Anglesey.

The National Trust also uses gorse and heather on its farms.

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Mr Jones said: "Feedback from users has been very, very positive.

"There are multiple benefits - an alternative to straw which is very expensive, decreasing the fuel load of these heathlands, and, structurally, we're improving the heathland."