Red squirrels could be saved by bringing back pine martens to English forests, a study has concluded.

The pine marten was once the second most common carnivore in Britain but woodland clearance coupled with a drive to eradicate the predators by Victorian gamekeepers pushed the little mammal to just a few remote areas of Scotland.

But a new study suggests that reintroducing the creatures could provide a natural way of eradicating grey squirrels, and allow red squirrels to re-establish their populations.

Red squirrels are small and light enough to scamper to the ends of branches out of reach of hungry pine martens, but the heavier greys are slower and spend more time foraging on the woodland floor, where they are easy prey.