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NATIONAL park bosses last night signed the death warrant for Scotland's only "mob" of wild wallabies.

The marsupials have lived on an island in Loch Lomond for 60 years but are set to be wiped out to protect local wildlife.

As we reported on Thursday, the wallabies are destroying vegetation on Inchconnachan Island and leaving many native plants and creatures - such as the rare capercaillie grouse - under threat.

Luss Estates manage the island and are planning to rid it of the wallabies. And yesterday, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority all but gave the green light for a cull.

A spokeswoman said: "While we recognise wallabies can be of novel interest to visitors, our role is to promote, conserve and enhance native species.

"Wallabies are a non-native species that don't belong on this important nature conservation site.

"The National Park biodiversity action plan identifies the need to conserve the native habitats and species that inhabit Luss Islands.

"The wallabies are one of the factors as they can eat young tree saplings and this influences the regeneration of the woodlands.

"It is expected that a package of measures including the control of wallabies that inhabit one of the islands, deer management and bracken control, will form part of the plan's objectives."

Luss Estates factor Iain Sheves said: "Culling the wallabies is a real option but we would have to take advice from experts."

Lady Arran Colquhoun introduced the animals to Inchconnachan in the 1940s and it has since been nicknamed Wallaby Island. Up to 60 still roam wild.