A RARE freshwater fish has made an unlikely home - in a stretch of water running through a quarry.
A ford on the River Ure, which runs through Hanson's Ripon quarry, North Yorkshire, has become a spawning site for lampreys.
The wash from the company's trucks crossing the river at this point keeps the gravel clean and free from algae and sedimentation, creating ideal conditions for spawning lamprey.
The Bellflask Ecological Survey Team is carrying out a study of the fish population in the river between Hawes and Boroughbridge.
Hanson has donated £500 to the team, which is led by Brian and Susan Morland.
The quarry is also home to other wildlife.
It recently scooped a birdwatching award from the British Trust for Ornithology and there is a moth trap at the site, which provides one of the most accurate records of moth species in the British Isles.
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