THE Lord Mayor of York has unveiled a marker stone aimed at raising awareness of a rare beetle whose only UK habitat is on the city’s riverbank.

The iridescent green tansy beetle, known as “the Jewel of York”, can only be found on small stretches of the River Ouse including an area of flood plain near Bishopthorpe Palace, which is managed by the Carstairs Countryside Trust.

The Trust commissioned sculptor Peter Maris to create the marker stone to stand on the land, topped by a carving of the beetle enlarged by a magnifying glass.

It was unveiled by the Lord Mayor, Coun Keith Hyman, at the weekend as a joint celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, York’s 800th anniversary as a self-governing city and National Insect Week.