Tyneside transport depot creates conservation project to protect rare butterflies

• Video report by Ross Hutchinson.

A Tyneside transport depot has created a conservation project to protect a rare species of butterfly.

Ecological surveys showed that Howdon Metro depot is home to the Dingy Skipper, which is native to the UK but is becoming increasingly rare.

A part of the former landfill site has now been transformed into a one-acre habitat to protect the insects.

Metro Development Director, Neil Blagburn, said: "The last thing we wanted was the depot project to negatively impact on this important species, so a plan was drawn up to create a segregated butterfly conservation area within the site, well away from the main building and train movements.

Data is also being collected to count the butterflies which supports the nation’s Big Butterfly Count - the world’s largest butterfly survey.

This will be processed by experts over three weeks to understand where conservation efforts should be targeted.