The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers has teamed up with the council and Vale Countryside Volunteers to build an artificial otter home, known as a holt, in Bourton Park.

Volunteers helped put the holt together on Wednesday which, it is hoped, will encourage the creatures to establish themselves in the park. It will provide the mammals with a place for them to shelter during the day and to breed. AVDC is aiming to carry out similar projects in the Buckingham area and is working with local landowners to find more sites where they can set up the artificial homes.

AVDC cabinet member for leisure, Cllr David Thompson, said: "It is important that we continue to improve conditions for otters over the coming years, particularly if we want to see healthy breeding populations locally.

"Should they start to spread across the district, this will be a sign of the area's improving environment, especially in terms of cleaner water."

Local residents are also being sought to become trained otter spotters and to look for evidence of the mammals by the River Great Ouse once a month.

Susan Le, Buckingham community wildlife project officer at BTCV, said: "From records collected by otter spotter volunteers, we already know that otters are in the Buckingham area.

"By improving local habitats and constructing a holt from natural materials, it is hoped more otters will be encouraged to settle and breed in Buckingham."

People interested in helping to further enhance Bourton Park for wildlife can join the new Friends of Bourton and Heartlands Park group, which will hold a consultation event on July 8, at Buckingham Athletic Football Club, from 7pm.

BTCV and VCV members build an otter holt in the Buckingham area.

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