THE Environment Agency has been giving nature a helping hand by re-introducing water crowfoot plants into the River Coln near Whelford.

The rural stretch of the river has been without the plant for many years, but now some 300 plants are being reintroduced into the river as part of a habitat improvement project.

Water crowfoot is a critical component of many river ecosystems, providing a vital habitat for a wide range of fish and insects and attracting a diversity of predators including kingfishers, bats and even otters.

In the River Coln, a variety of environmental pressures have caused a decline in water crowfoot but recent tests have shown that sections of the river are now healthy enough to accept the plant once more. Last Spring, officers from the Environment Agency transplanted several plants in the section and they have thrived, leading to the this next stage of the project.

Chris Bell, fisheries officer for the Environment Agency's west Thames area, said: "Aesthetically and ecologically, the benefits of a healthy water crowfoot community are significant and we're keen to re-establish one in this part of the river.

"Moving plants from well-stocked areas in the same river is the most viable way of doing this, but it is a fairly delicate operation.

"We can only take out fairly small amounts at any one time, or we would risk causing lasting damage to the source community, which would be totally counter-productive."