AN MP has been to see an ultra rare tansy beetle 'in the flesh' after accepting a nomination to become a 'Tansy Beetle Species Champion.'

York Central MP Rachael Maskell MP visited Rawcliffe Meadows with officers from Buglife and from the Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows, a voluntary group belonging to the York Natural Environment Trust.

She held one of the insects, photographed others and was told about the conservation work going on in the area to preserve the endangered species, whose last remaining stronghold in the UK is along the banks of the River Ouse in York.

She was presented with a Tansy Beetle badge, a tansy plant, and a copy of The Ouse Ings book published by the Friends.

Rawcliffe Meadows Nature Park covers 25 acres of the Clifton floodplain on the northern outskirts of York and it was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), along with Clifton Ings, in 2013.