Crayfish are making a comeback after leaving River Witham

A threatened species of crayfish is making a comeback after being rescued from the river at South Witham.

Last summer 600 white-clawed crayfish were removed from the River Witham where they were at risk of being wiped out by the invasive American signal crayfish. They compete for food and the American species carries a deadly disease.

The native crayfish were moved to a chalk stream in the Lincolnshire Wolds and are now breeding successfully thanks to the Environment Agency, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project. Environment Agency spokesman Richard Chadd said: “These crayfish are a vital part of our ecology.”