A RARE mouse has been found in County Durham, significantly further north than usual sightings of the animal.

The dead harvest mouse, the UK’s smallest type of mouse, was found at Bowburn, near Durham City. Most previous sightings of the mammal in the North-East have been in the Tees Valley, where an attempt was made to reintroduce the species.

Jim Cokill, director of the Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “We checked with the regional biological records centre, ERIC North East, and they have only 45 confirmed sightings for the region stretching back to 1974, so it’s a pretty rare creature.

“Although this particular animal was dead, the report does raise hopes that there is a population living in that location and Durham Wildlife Trust will be trying to confirm that.”

The species is believed to be in decline due to modern farming techniques reducing the number of possible habitats for the rodent.