New wildlife zones created

Six new areas of England important for wildlife are be protected under an extension of the Government's environmentally sensitive areas scheme.

The addition of Dartmoor, the Shropshire hills, the Cotswolds, the Upper Thames tributaries, the Essex coast and the Blackdown hills on the Devon-Somerset border will bring the total number of designated areas in England to 22, covering one- tenth of the agricultural land. Farmers will be offered cash for managing their land in a way which protects the countryside and wildlife habitats.