Conservationists are trying to bolster the genetic variation and resilience of threatened hazel dormice as they release 10 of the tiny mammals in Bedfordshire.

The rare species have been reintroduced into woodland managed by Forestry England and supported by the Greensand Trust as part of efforts to help the endangered species come back from the brink of extinction.

The new dormice are being released to boost the genetic diversity of Bedfordshire’s only existing population, which has grown after the first species reintroduction in the area in 2001.