A SITE has been selected for the release of harvest mice in an attempt to reintroduce them to the North-East.

The animals will be released into Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, on Teesside, which is managed by Stockton Borough Council.

Stockton council is one of the organisations supporting a national reintroduction programme for the mice, which have suffered a decline in numbers because of loss of habitat.

The North-East initiative, spearheaded by Ian Bond, who works in the council's countryside team, has conducted a captive breeding programme over the past year and now has 150 mice.

Forty have been supplied to a release project being carried out in Northumberland and a number of the rest will be used at Cowpen Bewley.

Mr Bond said: "Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park has undergone considerable environmental improvements in recent years.

"It contains acres of reed canary grass and common reed, the animal's favourite nesting plants, as well as rough grassland and hedges."

The team now believes, however, that fewer mice will be needed than originally envisaged and is looking at further sites for reintroduction.

These include Portrack Marsh, next to the River Tees at Stockton.

A meeting, organised in conjunction with Northumbria Mammal Group, will be held at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, on Friday, to assess the latest stage of the project.