The reintroduction of beavers into Britain’ streams and rivers could help protect land and communities from flooding and the impact of climate change, trials have shown.

Dams built by the creature, which died out 300 years ago through culling and hunting for pelts before being reintroduced in key areas over the past decade, are found to significantly slow the flow of water downstream and reduce peak flows after heavy rain.

This has the effect of protecting nearby land from flooding as well as retaining water in streams during droughts.

Research carried out during the five year trial on the River Otter, in Devon, has also found that the beavers’ dams prevent sediment and inorganic fertilisers being washed from farmland, causing plant life to flourish and boosting other types of wildlife.

Professor Richard Brazier, from the University of Exeter, said: "It's an amazing story, it's far more change than we expected."

The project, run by Devon Wildlife Trust, to reintroduce the mammal into a controlled section of the River Otter has seen them build 13 dams, creating new ponds with canals to link them.

Two additional beavers were introduced into a pond adjacent to the River Tale, the Otter’s main tributary, in 2016.