Sir Winston Churchill’s valiant attempt to re-introduce an extinct species of butterfly in the grounds of Chartwell was, it is widely agreed, a complete debacle.

The project, to which the former Prime Minister dedicated a significant amount of time and energy, was rolled out with military precision.

While his fellow MPs were immersed by the threat of war, Sir Winston was absorbed with his grand plan to release hundreds of black-veined whites into the gardens of his Kent mansion.

Imported caterpillars stuffed in muslin bags were eventually tied to his hawthorn hedge but the project ended in farce when his gardener misunderstood the instruction to open the bags, instead removing them from the bushes and burning the lot.

Sir Winston would no doubt be heartened to know that, more than 70 years later, moves are afoot to follow in his footsteps, albeit in a rather more conventional manner.

Butterfly Conservation has revealed that changing climate means conditions may be suitable again for the return of the black-veined white, which became extinct in the UK in the mid-1920s due to changes in land use and a few years of bad autumn weather.