BRITISH nature from farmland birds and butterflies to threatened species and important landscapes are suffering declines, an official assessment shows.

The Government used 51 indicators of the state of UK biodiversity - all the plant and animal species and the habitats they live in.

More than a fifth (22%) of the indicators, such as public sector spending on wildlife, had seen a decline over the short term and 20%, from woodland birds to pollinating insects, had seen their situation worsen over the long term.

But two-fifths of the indicators had improved over the long term, such as bat populations, and a third had seen fortunes improve over the short term, the annual assessment revealed.

For some wildlife and habitats the situation is particularly serious, with breeding farmland birds and farmland butterflies suffering declines over the long and short term.

Populations of "priority" species which are most under threat have also deteriorated in the long and short term, as have native horse breeds.

The percentage of habitats considered important on a Europe-wide scale which are in a good or improving condition and the proportion of lakes and wetlands in England which are in a good state have also fallen in recent years.

There was better news for protected areas at sea which have increased, as have sustainable fisheries, while hazardous marine pollution has fallen.

Tony Juniper, executive director at WWF, said: "Our country is increasingly bereft of wildlife, our rivers polluted, there is more and more plastic in the sea and an ever-increasing area of green space covered with concrete.

"Yesterday the Prime Minister made a welcome commitment to a new Environment Act for England.

"This shocking data reveals the urgency of ensuring that this new law sets clear targets for the recovery of the natural world that we all depend upon. There is no time to waste."

An Environment Department (Defra) spokesman said: "As the Environment Secretary has said, in recent decades we have polluted our earth, air and water, placed species in danger and run down natural resources.

"While there are some signs of improvement, we must act to restore nature and deliver a cleaner, greener future.

"That is the goal of our 25-year Environment Plan and it is why we will bring forward the first Environment Bill for 20 years."