Otters have been spotted on the river through Darlington once again. 

Otter-fever gripped the town last January after a family of young European otters set up a home on the banks of one of Darlington's rivers.

Wildlife fans will be pleased to know that otters have been seen in the town again Darlington this month - though it is unknown if this is the same family or a different one. 

Peter Oughton, a member of The Northern Echo's camera club, was surprised to spot one on the prowl for its dinner whilst walking home from work. 

(Image: Peter Oughton/Northern Echo Camera Club)

On the same walk, he also spotted a kingfisher and a buzzard. A keen wildlife photographer, Peter commented: "There's loads of stuff around in Darlington in the woods, parks, cemeteries and rivers!"

In the 1950s, otters were threatened with extinction due to agricultural chemicals polluting the food chain, meaning it was rare to spot them swimming in British waterways. 

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(Image: Peter Oughton/Northern Echo Camera Club)

The otter population began to recover after the ban on harmful pesticides in the early 1990s, and reintroduction schemes, where animals raised in captivity were released into the wild. 

Other factors that contributed to the recovery include protective laws, better habitat management, and the return of fish populations to the rivers and lakes. 

Otters can now be found in every county in England, and there are thought to be as many as 10,000 in the UK. They are a staple in Darlington, and have been spotted in County Durham's River Wear too. 

(Image: Peter Oughton/Northern Echo Camera Club)