A POPULAR and wildlife-rich stretch of river on the outskirts of Sherston, where evidence of otters have now emerged, will be restored by a combination of experts and volunteers following a £2,500 grant.

It has also been revealed that future plans for the stretch at Luckington Brook will include the creation of a wildflower meadow.

Habitat improvement workshops are also in the pipeline to help villagers maintain the length of river.

The grant to the Sherston River Improvement Project (SHRIMP) has come from Wessex Water’s biodiversity funding programme.

The Sherston River supports a small population of fish such as brown trout and bullhead.

However, low flows in the river during summer are insufficient to flush through sediment deposited after storms.

This has resulted in river bed gravels being smothered which makes the habitat unattractive to spawning trout and invertebrates.

Harriet Alvis of the Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART), which is leading the Sherston project, said: “We are excited that the grant from Wessex Water will allow us to continue our work to restore the river to more natural conditions for the benefit of people and wildlife.

“We’ll also continue to work alongside the local community to encourage them to develop a sense of ownership of the waterways.

“We have already seen evidence of otters, kingfishers and water voles in the area and our work will help secure their future.”