A CONSERVATION charity has secured £51,345 in funding from Biffa Award to restore habitats along the River Tutt near Harrogate.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will undertake work at sites along the river, including Staveley Nature Reserve, to restore degraded bankside habitats, tackle invasive non-native plant species and install bat boxes and an otter holt. Local volunteers will play a key part in the project which will benefit iconic river species such as otters and kingfishers, as well as helping to increase the numbers of fish in the river.

Biffa Award is a multi-million pound fund that awards grants to community and environmental projects across the UK.