£350,000 bat bridges aren't working, study finds

A new study has found that bridges put up over the recently dualled A11 to help bats aren't working.

The wire gantries, which cost around 350 thousand pounds, were designed to help the animals cross the road, by guiding them over the traffic.

There are 6 in all between Thetford and Barton Mills and they cost around £350,000. But, according to a new study, they're not working.

They were meant to work is to act as echolocation guides for bats - giving them a structure they can navigate along safely above the traffic.

But the study found that most of the bats were in fact flying below five metres above the road, putting them right in the line of the road.

One of the problems could be the gaps between where the green corridors stop and the bridge begins and the fact the bridge is just too flimsy.

Highways England told us it took its "environmental responsibilities seriously".

The study is relatively small, but experts say it does indicate that as we build more roads to suit our needs, we must ensure we're considering the best options to suit our wildlife's needs too.

Click below to watch the full report from ITV News Anglia's Tanya Mercer