NEARLY 6,000 conifers have been felled on the moors near Helmsley as part of a drive to reinstate one of the countryside's most threatened habitats.

Changing patterns of land use have led to the loss of about 80 per cent of England's lowland heath over the past 20 years, it has been estimated.

In the mid-19th century, North Yorkshire boasted 87,000 acres of such heathland. Now, trees have been cut down on Wass Moor, next to the A170 west of Helmsley, in an attempt to reverse the trend.

The rare nightjar, as well as insetcs and plants, are expected to thrive as a result of the work.

Brian Walker, a wildlife officer with the Forestry Commission, said: "Rather than create a large swathe of open ground, we have opted to thin twelve acres of the woodland, leaving large spaces between the trees. The resulting sunlight reaching the floor will germinate long-dormant heather seed in the soil, sparking the area to life for heath-loving flora and fauna.

"Some people think that the Forestry Commission is just about managing woods but as the nation's biggest landowner we are the custodians of many habitats, and lowland heath is among the most precious."

A similar scheme has been carried out at Strensall and Allerthorpe Common, where 125 acres of heathland has already been created.